karibu magazine July 2017

SECOND EDITION 30TH JULY 2017 

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KENYA-UK 

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KENYAN 

SENATOR 

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2 1ST EDITION | JULY 2016

EDITORIAL 

Greetings and a warm welcome to our second 

issue of Karibu Magazine! 

This has been a year of triumph for the 

Kenyans living in the UK as there has been 

an immense and increasing appetite 

for a deeper bilateral and multilateral 

cooperation between Kenya and the UK 

especially in trade and investments opening 

a world of opportunities across borders 

The UK Kenyan community has grown 

steadily over the years and events such as 

Kenya in Park have served to forge closer relations 

between the community ensuring progressive 

positive branding of the image of Kenya abroad and 

opening doors to Kenyan products and services 

aimed at the Kenyan markets abroad 

The culture of Kenya reflects a cultural diversity 

with many ethnic groups, cultural values, culture 

influence, national culture, cultural identity and 

ethnicity and which makes Kenya unique and a 

cultural microcosm of Africa. 

Karibu Magazine values the contribution of 

Kenyans Living in the UK and friends of kenya and 

we look forward to continued collaboration 

________________ 

Lydia Tett Olet 

Chief Editor 

NEXT KENYA & FRIENDS IN THE PARK 

EVENT (28TH JULY 2018) 

BARKING PARK 

Longbridge Road. Barking, 

London.IG11 8UD 

3

CONTENTS 

3 LETTER FROM the chief EDITOR 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 

6,27,46,51,63: kenya- uk relations at a glance 

_____________________________________________________________________________________ 

7-9: feature: kANGETHE (FORMER MAYOR) 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 

12-13: feature: sara ikumu 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 

18-19: feature: wangu wamakeri 

»» 

p.12 

»» 

p.07 »» 

p.19 

»» 

p.52 

»» 

p.56 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 

25-26: feature: mzee nduva 

28: VOICE OF THE YOUTH: comfy b 

29: talented in the house 

30: historian: levin othiambo 

31: mau mau uprising (play) 

32-33: KENYAN ARTSISTS IN THE UK 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 

33-36 KENYA IN THE PARK PHOTOS 2016 

37: PCEA WOMEN EVENT 

38-39: KENYA COUNTRY PROFILE 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 

40-41: CHARITIES 

42: NATIONAL ANTHEM 

44-45: L.GICHUHI (AUSTRALIA KENYAN SENATOR) 

48: UK CHURCHES COMPETION 

49: KARANJA WA MWIRURI [LAWYER] 

50: DIASPORA HEALTH MATTERS 

52: FAMILY SPECIAL 

54-55: WEDDING 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 

56-57: THE EAGLE (ERICK OCHIENG BOXER) 

58: ABERDEEN FASHION WEEK 

59-62: UK REGIONAL UPDATE 

66-67: FEATURE. UK FAMILY ARCHIVERS 

70-71: KENYAN FAMILY IN ALASKA 

74-75: WHISPERS 

76: SOCIAL MEDIA 

77: POLITICS (TRIBAL CARD) 

_______________________________________________________________________________________ 

34,35,36,48,62,69,72 photoS from round uk 

78: thanks to friends & sponsors

EDITORIAL 

TEAM 

Publisher. (Mrseed) 

Mr Peter Njiri Karanja 

Tel: +447951220695 

admi.karibu@gmail.com 

Editor in Chief: 

Lydia Olet. 

Tel: +447853207075 

info.karibu@gmail.com 

Managing Editor. 

Thomas Musau 

Editorial Director. 

Alex Kamau 

Graphics & design. 

mrkeya (Noah Keya) 

Marketing, Advertising 

and Circulation. 

Mercy Kiminta. 

Tel: +447403159285 

sales.karibu@gmail.com

HIGH COMMISSIONER 

OF KENYA TO THE 

UNITED KINGDOM 

Kenya and the United Kingdom enjoy 

cordial relations that are manifested in 

concrete collaboration in a number of 

mutually beneficial fields such as trade, 

investment, tourism as well as cooperation 

in matters of peace and security. The 

UK is the largest foreign investor from 

Europe and 3rd most important export 

destination after Uganda and the United 

States and the leading source market for 

Kenya’s tourism. Bilateral Trade has grown 

from less than Stg. £500 million in 2004 

to Stg. £1.51 billion in 2015 and over 210 

British companies valued at around Stg. 

£2.5 billion have invested in Kenya. These 

bilateral relations have been strengthened 

by exchange of High-Level visits, hosting 

of forums, signing of several agreements 

and MOU’s among other things. The 

following is a highlight of a few events in 

the last one year: 

1.Visit to the United Kingdom by H.E. 

Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, C.G.H., The 

President of the Republic of Kenya 

His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta 

C.G.H., President of the Republic of 

KENYA-UK 

RELATIONS AT A GLANCE 

Kenya, made an official visit to London 

from 10th-12th May to attend the 2017 

London Somalia Conference that was 

held on 11th May 2017. The President 

was accompanied by the First Lady 

Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta and 

other senior Government officials. This 

year’s London Somalia Conference 

aimed at accelerating the progress of 

security reforms in Somalia, build on the 

international response to the ongoing 

drought and humanitarian crisis and agree 

on the new international partnership 

needed to keep the Horn of Africa nation 

on course for increased peace and 

prosperity. 

While in London the Head of State also 

held bilateral talks and participated in 

several forums including meetings with 

the UK Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon Theresa 

May, HRH Prince William, the Duke of 

Cambridge, Senator Ian Gorst, Chief 

Minister of Jersey, key British investors, 

Diaspora representatives, and Mr. G.P. 

Hinduja Co-Chairman of Hinduja group of 

companies, among others. 

Bilateral Talks 

During the bilateral meeting at number 

10 Downing Street on 11th May 2017, 

His Excellency the President and the 

Prime Minister appreciated the warm 

and mutually beneficial relations that the 

two countries enjoy and agreed to work 

together to strengthen bilateral relations 

between Kenya and Britain especial in 

areas of trade, defense, security, and 

counter-terrorism. The Head of State 

conveyed Kenya’s desire to continue 

having seamless trade relations during and 

after Brexit. He, therefore, recommended 

the establishment of a working group on 

a new framework for bilateral trade and 

economic relations to ensure predictability 

and continuation of the existing market 

access conditions to the UK market. 

Business Forum 

In the afternoon at a meeting with Key 

British investors, the President cascaded 

information on Kenya’s business 

environment and wooed them to 

increase their investments in the Country 

6 

2ND EDITION | JULY 2017 

>>> Continues page 27>>>

CLLR. E KANGETHE: A PROFILE 

COUNCILLOR Elizabeth Kangethe is perhaps one of the most known Kenyans in the UK. She has 

served as a labour councillor in the London borough of Barking and Dagenham. She has also served 

as a mayor of the borough - the first Kenyan to do so in any city in the UK. 

Karibu Magazine asked her about herself and what it’s taken to reach where she is. 

Karibu Magazine: Tell us who you are and where 

you are from. 

Councillor Elizabeth: I am Elizabeth Kangethe daughter 

to Mr Richard Kangethe and late Emily Waiyaiya of Ngewa 

Kwamaiko Githunguri constituency Kiambu County. I am 

the 5th born among 7 siblings. Born in the 60s. Qualified 

teacher here and in Kenya .Was a Head teacher for over 10 

years. Taught in the UK for over 13 years. Currently elected 

councillor for Parsloes ward since 2010. I am also studying 

for a law degree. 

I am also a Motivational speaker, Youth and Women 

empowerment champion and adviser on leadership 

and public policy. I am very adventurous and outgoing 

individual. Most importantly, I am a mother to 24 year 

old son Kenneth Kangethe, a media and TV production 

specialist. I am believer and born again Christian. 

Karibu Magazine: What is your greatest achievement? 

Councillor Elizabeth: My greatest achievement besides 

bringing up my son Kenneth is serving as Mayor of LBBD. 

This role gave me the title of first citizen of the borough 

2ND EDITION | JULY 2017 7

and it gave me the opportunity to meet Her Majesty the 

Queen and other prominent people. 

I feel very blessed that my life has been one of service 

rather than accumulating material wealth. 

Karibu Magazine: How do you cope with perhaps 

being one of the most famous Kenyan in the UK? 

Councillor Elizabeth: I am not famous but well known 

because of my unique political status. I don’t feel any 

different from others. Not at all. Actually i feel humbled 

especially when people invite me or refer to me with 

what I have achieved. 

Karibu Magazine: How do you balance the 

many demands and commitment in your 

life? 

Councillor Elizabeth: I try to prioritise but sometimes 

the demands are more than I can cope with. I try to 

create ME Time and also family time alongside my rather 

busy work schedules. It’s often very disappointing when 

I am invited and cannot honour the invite. I request 

understanding which thankfully many do. 

Karibu Magazine: You’ve been councillor and 

mayor-the first Kenyan to do so in the UK. Do 

you have any future ambitions here or abroad? 

Councillor Elizabeth: Anybody without ambitions 

has stopped living. I have ambitions and would wish 

to continue serving. I’d like to go and give back to my 

people at some appropriate time. However there are still 

numerous opportunities here in the UK and so it’s not a 

closed chapter. Watch this space is perhaps a better way 

of saying it. 

Karibu Magazine: What challenges do you 

face or experience being a woman of colour in 

politics? 

Councillor Elizabeth: Inevitably there are challenges 

-a woman in the male dominated world of politics. 

Sadly there are even some communities who don’t 

feel comfortable with a woman leader. This is slowly 

changing but the challenges were there at the 

beginning. One only needs to do the duty at hand well 

and leave it to others to be bothered by the colour of 

my skin. When you are good in what you do, your skin 

colour is irrelevant. 

8 

2ND EDITION | JULY 2017

Karibu Magazine: What advice would you give to 

Kenyans in the UK with political ambitions? 

Councillor Elizabeth: Any Kenyans with any political 

ambitions should go for it. There are so many mentorship 

programmes offered and I do mentor too. Nobody should 

be intimidated. Of course you lose nothing by trying. But 

then it starts from somewhere. Start with the membership 

of a party. Attend regular party meetings at the local group 

and if you have something to offer, it shall get noticed by 

somebody sooner than later. 

Karibu Magazine: The elections in Kenya are due 

shortly. Do you have any views on them? 

Councillor Elizabeth: Like everybody else I want us to have 

peaceful elections and that the best people to lead our 

country are elected. It is the least those seeking leadership 

should be working towards for the sake of all Kenyans 

and our beautiful country. I know a day is coming when 

the issues that bother us the most such as tribal based 

politics; voter bribery etc. shall be things of the past. One 

last note… I wish the campaign spending can be capped 

to a reasonable amount so that good candidates without 

the financial resources can also be able to vie. We saw an 

aspirant for MP who said his nomination campaign alone 

cost 25 million. That is a huge sum of money-over 200 

thousand sterling pounds. That cannot be right and it’s not 

hard to see where corruption in politics starts. 

Karibu Magazine: Who is your hero and why? 

Councillor Elizabeth: My heroines are Michelle Obama and 

H.E Mrs Margaret Kenyatta. Their flawless grace and solid 

characters are examples every woman should emulate. Here 

are two women with access to uncountable privileges but 

they shall be remembered more for their humility, dignity 

and service to humanity and especially their concern for 

those in the margins of society. Which Kenyan mother or 

woman would forget Margaret Kenyatta’s beyond Zero 

campaign to ensure every Kenyan woman has the safest 

childbirth. Michele Obama’s campaign for the education of 

girls from the poorest and most discriminatory and down 

trodden countries remains an aspiration. 

One wouldn’t struggle to see why they are my heroines. 


10 


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11

SARAH NJOKI IKUMU 

The Remarkably gifted Kenyan Girl who won the 

hearts of a Nation….and millions around the world 

By Karibu Magazine Team 

Sarah Njoki Ikumu has made us all proud. She’s the beautiful and exceptionally 

confident girl who showed the best of Kenyan parenting and determination 

to the world. She represented us all; becoming the child we all wished was 

our own. Her calm and remarkable demeanour contrasted sharply with her 

phenomenal talent. Few would be as gifted and have the grace to be as humble 

as Sarah. The spectacle of Sarah being showered with praise by the Britain 

Got Talent (BGT) judges led by Simon Cowell and taking it all in with 

remarkable grace and humility - shall stay with us for years to come. 

Humble and exceptionally talented, Sarah is the product of great parental 

love and support, and an upbringing centred on God and His worship. It’s 

no surprise that for her the sky shall remain the only limit. 

A start is made. 

When Sarah walked in front of the British Got Talent 

judge’s panel, she brought with her only that inner 

confidence that she knew would once released 

mesmerise us all. Her choice of song was even of 

concern to Simon Cowell who felt that the “Dream 

girls hit And I Am Telling You” was a poor choice 

and would be hard to pull through. He was unaware 

of the Sarah’s musical ability and in particular her 

vocals. Sarah calmly said she’d chosen it because her 

vocals were simply the best. Few suspected she would 

put a spectacular show that would capture the hearts of 

the judges - winning the golden buzzer, including from the 

polemical Simon Cowell. When Sarah was finished…Simon 

explained his decision: ‘It’s like you were possessed! I have 

12 


Britain Got Talent 2017 

heard that song loads, but you nailed it, you made it yours! 

Amanda showered her with characteristically sincere praise ‘I 

am thrilled for you! It was mind blowing... I can’t believe it!’ As 

she walked offstage, Simon had some more praise for Sarah 

‘Enjoy this, I’m thrilled for you and your family!’ 

‘Sarah had made her mark and the audience and the millions 

of viewers around the world had taken note of her remarkable 

vocals. The clicks on her masterpiece have since ballooned to 

9 million clicks on YouTube and still counting…. Social media 

went in virtual meltdown with many enviously discussing the 

prowess with which Sarah had sung. Viewers were absolutely 

Newton blown away by the teen’s sensational singing. Rachel 

said: ‘Gobsmacked - those vocals!! Sign her now!!! WOW!!!’ 

Mason Smith added: ‘Damn she was GREAT.’ Claudi Marks 

wrote on Twitter: ‘I’ve watched Sarah Ikumu’s audition three 

times and I got goosebumps every time.’ Nicole Glashow said: 

‘Insane! This girl can sing!’ Eamonn O’Brien wrote: ‘Sarah Ikumu 

is just brilliant. Well done for showing her full performance.’ All 

this for a 15 year old beautiful British Kenyan girl and star in 

the making 

Sarah’s rise to stardom. 

It is said bring up a child in the ways of God and when he/ 

she grows, he/she shall not deviate from it. It couldn’t 

be truer for Sarah. She was brought up in Milton Keynes 

by her devout Christian parents. Her father Alex Gatoto 

is a pastor. Her mother is a carer. Her gift for music 

was evident from an early age. Her talent was 

natured to a great extent by her parents’ 

encouragement - her father is besides 

his pastoral role also a HGV driver. Her 

parents have been very supportive and 

have helped her horn her musical skills 

and nurture her talent by putting her 

in several singing competitions. Her 

ability and talent was evident as 

early as age 5 when her melodical 

voice was first heard with delight 

in church. Charity may begin at home but when it begins from 

the House of the Lord, no obstacle can stand on the way. 

Schoolwork or Music? 

That Sarah is also a very studious girl who is in year 11 and 

was studying for her GCSEs alongside the BGT contest is a 

great encouragement to all Kenyan children, and children 

everywhere that you can pursue your talent and still do well 

in school. It mustn’t be a choice between one or the other as 

some young people mistakenly think. You can do well in both. 

Practice makes perfect. 

It’s been a remarkable journey of practice and learning for 

Sarah. Even when the family relocated to Kenya for two and 

half years when she was much younger, Sarah continued to 

practice and sharpen her music skills. She has performed in 

singing events in both Kenya and the UK. 

Aged 14 years, Sarah won the talent show at her school 

-Hazeley Academy in Milton Keynes. She also previously took 

part in the Milton Keynes Young Musician of the Year and an 

under-18s ‘Youngstars’ showcase in London. Several videos 

of her performing have since been uploaded by ChartHouse 

Music, a London-based artist development company. The 

videos include her performing Aretha Franklin’s Think and 

Adele’s When We Were Young. Both have several million views 

on YouTube. Sarah has greatly harnessed the power of social 

media including a Facebook page specifically to promote her 

musical ability. 

It was a bitter sweet finale for Sarah as she did not win the 

contest. However merit is merit and she’s made her mark-and 

with gusto. Both Experts and laymen believe her musical 

career and future are both very bright. 

Karibu Magazine wishes Sarah the very best in her future career and 

offers our warmest congratulations to her parents -Pastor Alex and 

Serah Ikumu for bringing up such a wonderful daughter. 


Powered By Leo Capital Holdings Limited 

Mary Njonjo 

Diaspora 

Marketing 

Manager 

Hurlingham, Devson Court Suite 5 

Argwings Kodhek close. 

Tel. +254 737 265 816 (Kenya);+44740 4679 182 (UK) 

Office line: 0204401313 / +254 790 500 910 

Email. mary@herihomes.co.ke, diaspora@herihomes.co.ke 

Website: www.herihomes.co.ke 

Hurlingham, Devson Court Suite 5, Argwings Kodhek Close 

Meet the man behind the 

P.O Box 19061-00100 Nairobi,Kenya 

success of Heri Homes 

MR KIMOTHO KIMANI 

Tel : 020 4401313 +254 780 500 910 | 0790 500 910 

Email: info@herihomes.co.ke | www.herihomes.co.ke 

CEO OF HERI HOMES 

KJ Kiarie(prospective MP Dagoretti 

South) cutting ribbon to mark the 

opening of Kikuyu Phase1 apartments. 

Kitisuru phase1 show house. 

14 


All our projects are strategically located 

Southern bypass nearby Market places Proximity to Malls Hospitals 

Kikuyu Road Phase1show House 

HERI HOMES is one of the real 

estates companies in Kenya offering 

home solutions to many Kenyans. 

It is well known for its co-values, 

integrity being the key selling point 

ie. Delivering projects in record time 

(18-24months) 

Meet the man behind this very 

successful organization. 

Paul Mwaura (Media Personality) 

gathers his thoughts on investment 

opportunities in the sector. 

Tell us about yourself. Just who is 

Ephantus Kimotho Kimani? 

Mr Kimotho Kimani is one of the 

founder directors of Heri Homes and 

is actually the CEO. He holds an MBA – 

University of Nairobi, Bcom-University 

of Nairobi, and is a Registered member 

of ICPAK. 

Mr Kimotho is a passionate leader with 

first class management skills and has 

a long record in success of real estate 

property ventures. Among his skills 

are business development, strategic 

management, P&L management, 

analytical and diagnostics. He has 

been involved in organizing real estate 

project financing, and has led several 

real estate projects. 

He is 40 years old, married with 2 

children. 

What gave you motivation to be in the 

Real Estate Sector? 

1. Entrepreneurial Spirit: 

Being an entrepreneur, I was able to 

bring factors of production togetherland, 

labor and capital. The industry 

gave me a perfect opportunity of 

bringing those factors together and 

convert raw materials into finished 

goods. 

2. Addressing the housing shortage: 

Having identified the housing 

shortage in the country, I was able to 

identify an opportunity to solve the 

problem. This would end up achieving 

investment opportunities for people 

,improve their financial well being of 

many by educating them on various 

investments. This was a subject that 

was close to my heart. 

Who are Heri Homes? 

Heri Homes is a company that was 

initially formed as a land, real estate 

2ND and property EDITION merchant | JULY in Kenya. 2017 The 

15 

business model however evolved 

with time to include developing

Daystar Hostels contruction, 

7months into the project 

apartments, bungalows 

and townhouses in areas 

where there is high rental 

yield, through the use of a 

low risk finance strategy, 

whereby part of the capital 

is raised through social 

capital as opposed to debt. 

This strategy reduces 

the cumulative cost of 

a specific housing unit; 

this is mostly because 

it eliminates the hefty 

interest cost that ordinarily 

would be transferred 

to the end buyer by the 

developer where a debt 

model is employed. Heri 

Homes has experienced 

phenomenonal growth 

and its success mostly 

attributable to this unique 

housing model. 

We ensure that we 

construct quality and 

affordable housing units 

in attractive locations that 

have high rental yield. 

What should a developer 

consider before buying a 

property? 

1. Financial viability 

2. Feasibility study 

Demographic 

factors(Population, 

social class, etc 

• Location 

• ROI (Return on 

Investment) 

3.Technical viability- 

Land ie size,gradient,geosurvey, 

weight beating 

capacity, soil pH test 

Approvals ; plot ratio, 

buildup area etc 

3. Legal documents- 

Title and green card 

searches 

-Copy of RIM (Registry 

index map) from Survey of 

Kenya. 

What should the buyer consider 

before buying a property to 

ensure the investment is safe 

and sound? 

• Authentication of 

documents- Incase of 

–land 

-Apartment; search of 

project titles 

-Approvals –NEMA. 

-Search of SPV of the 

project 

•Market intelligence 

•Independent site visits 

•Investors’ need 

•Track record of company 

•Research on upcoming 

.Infrastructure in the area. 

Why you should invest in 

Kenya now!!! 

• GDP is growing at 5% 

• Low interest rates by lending 

financial institutions thereby 

reducing cost of production 

• Devolution- Has seen an 

16 Heir 2ND management EDITION team | with JULY Mrseed 2017 at Daystar University 

where they have constructed 300 unit hostels 

High Commisioner with 

Mary Njonjo of Heri Homes London

Mrseed pays a courtesy call at our offices at in Hurlingham 

increase in the housing 

shortage 

• Improved 

infrastructure- This 

has led to high cost of 

property 

• Political stability 

• High return on 

investment- as 

witnessed by the 

Eurobonds success. 

Benefits of being 

a development 

partner in Heri 

Homes 

1. Value addition-Any 

raw materials once 

processed, it increases 

in value 

2. Low prices- Avoidance 

of high cost of interests 

and enjoys the 

economies of scale 

3. Capital Appreciation- 

All projects are in 

strategic areas 

4. High return on 

investment (ROI) 

5. Discounts for partners 

who pay 50% and above 

6. Small deposits and 

staggered payments 

7. Opportunity to resell 

8. Ability to increase your 

wealth ratio faster than 

in other investments. 

The Secret behind 

Heri Homes Success 

• Need analysisthrough 

our 

feasibility studies, 

we are able to 

deliver to the market 

what it needs. 

• Prudent financial 

management- only 

3% is used for 

operational costs, all 

other monies go into 

construction 

• Complete projects in 

stipulated time 

• Living and practicing 

our co-values : 

Honesty, Excellence, 

Respect and 

Integrity (HERI) 

• Project 

Independence- All 

projects are run 

independent on each 

other. 

• Embracing corporate 

governance. 

• Uniqueness of our 

business model 

(Equity Model) 

Impact of Heri 

Homes to The 

Economy 

1.Bridging the housing 

gap 

2.Creating employment 

opportunities 

3.Attract foreign 

exchange through sales 

from the diaspora 

4.Reduction of Insecurity 

through job creation 

5.Increase in money 

velocity and rotation of 

money through parties 

involved. 

Kikuyu Road Phase2 construction site 

Jecinta from UK receiving 2ND her EDITION lease documents | JULY for 2017 17 

her apartmennt in Kikuyu road Phase1 during the 

latest handover ceremony. (13thMay)

Great grand 

daugheter 

Josephine 

Wangu 

Njuguna 

Chief Wangu 

wa Makeri 

of Kikuyu, 

early1900 

LONDON 

UNITED 

KINGDOM 

2017 

KENYA 

NATIONAL 

ARCHIVES 

BY MRSEED 

The first Woman Kikuyu Chief in Colonial Kenya 

“Wangu wa Makeri was a tyrant who made men carry her on her back everywhere,” 

18 

Never again had the fate of so many 

depended on the whims of one woman, 

when village idlers quaked at the mention of 

her name and able-bodied men avoided her 

like the plague. Then, the most threatened 

species were the tax evaders who had 

to contend with the brutal power of her 

forces, as they were drugged, whipped and 

incarcerated in solitary confinement. Their 

humiliation was total. Every other day when 

the high and the mighty came calling, they 

rode on the backs of the able-bodied tax 

evaders, as the hoi polloi cheered. Along the 

way, the villagers dotted the pathway with 

calabashes of yams, sweet potatoes and 

arrowroots, offered to a multitude of sidekicks 

for the consumption of the chief and her 

retinue, marching barefoot on her majesty’s 

service. 


And those who were irresistibly drawn to 

muratina, the potent locally brewed gin, a 

special treatment had been devised to sober 

them up. Their backs acted as her seat, as 

she ordered it over to both men and women, 

dispensing the white man’s decrees and 

collecting taxes. It has been 108 years since 

Wangu wa Makeri captured the imagination 

of generations, surrendered her post in 

Weithaga location in Murang’a under a cloud 

of controversy. However echoes of her power 

still reverberate on all corners of the country. 

How could an illiterate woman, whose 

biggest achievement was the simple post of 

assistant chief (headman), dominate minds, 

decades after she was forced out of her job 

after a scandal? Echoes from the past try to 

demystify Wangu wa Makeri, a junior colonial 

administrator who was feted like a queen. 

Parallels have been drawn between her 

and Queen Victoria, whose right to rule was 

God-given, and her orders unquestionable by 

earthly mortals. 

The birth of an ordinary woman who 

made history. 

According to historian Mary Wanyoike, Wangu 

was born around 1856 to Gatuika Macharia 

and Wakeru of Gitie village in Kangema 

division, Murang’a District. Boasting of no 

formal education, it must have been her voice 

and boundless energy as she worked in her 

parent’s land that drew Makeri wa Mbogo 

to her. Makeri, according to Wanyoike, in her 

book, Wangu wa Makeri, was of Ndorobo 

descent, and was from the dreaded Ethaga 

clan. He was a quiet, reserved man of little 

ambition, described by 71-year-old Macharia 

Mwangi as a kimore (docile and colourless 

man) as he rarely spoke his mind on any 

issue or courted controversy. Makeri was 

however a rich man in his own right and 

enticed Wangu to be his first wife. Their union 

yielded children, although some people 

claim she was barren. Wanyoike explains 

that Wangu’s children were Nyakimotho,

Nyambura, Wanguru, Muchiri, Gatuiku and 

Mwangi. They were all born before she was 

appointed a colonial administrator. But Mwangi, 

a resident of Koimbi argues that Wangu did 

not have a child of her own but married other 

wives, who named their children as directed 

by the colonial ‘headman’. Traditionally, such 

arrangements existed and the “husband” decided 

who sired children with her wife or wives! Retired 

Reverend Father Joachim Gitonga, author of “The 

Paramount Chief Karuri wa Gakure”, says that 

although he has extensively researched, he never 

heard or found any evidence to suggest Wangu 

was barren. 

An illicit love tryst gives rise to a chief. 

Wangu’s prominence started in 1901 when 

Karuri wa Gakure, the paramount chief started 

frequenting Makeri’s homestead on his way from 

Tuthu to Murang’a to consult the colonial district 

commissioner. Tradition demanded that since 

Makeri and Karuri were age mates, whenever he 

stopped over for a night he was entitled to be 

entertained by one of the host’s wives for the 

night. It was from this customary sanctioned wife 

sharing that Gakure and Wangu grew particularly 

intimate, becoming inseparable lovers. Makeri 

was helpless because although tradition frowned 

upon wife - snatching, questioning a paramount 

chief was too serious an issue to be handled 

by a village council of elders. To calm the 

troubled marital waters at Makeri’s home, Karuri 

nominated his age mate Makeri to be a headman 

but he declined. Determined to have his way and 

legitimise his sleepovers at Koimbi, he elevated 

his lover, Wangu in 1902. “From then, life was 

never the same in Koimbi. Karuri frequented 

the area and usually slept at Wangu’s house. 

Whenever he did this, his makangas (the security 

men who guarded him) raided homes for the 

fattest sheep to entertain the chief.” Kamau 

recalls. The visits drained Koimbi’s resources 

because every time the Makangas went in search 

of a sheep, they impounded some for Makeri and 

others for themselves for feasting. 

The spectacle of the visiting chief. 

“The coming of the chief was not a simple 

matter. Every village had to supply food, which 

they placed along the Tuthu Murang’a Road. This 

was collected by Karuri’s assistants. Everybody 

had to line up along the roads and cheer as the 

chief passed.” The chief and his trusted lover 

were carried on men’s back from one stop to 

another, until they reached Murang’a. The tours 

were a spectacle for the chief and his friends and 

a nightmare to tax evaders who were rounded 

up and locked by the headmen. They were 

subjected to hard labour and acted as transport 

whenever Wangu wanted to visit a place within 

the expansive location. At Koimbi Trading Center, 

Wangu’s seat of power is still intact. Her office, 

set aside from the main gate, remains with its 

stonewalls glinting from a coat of paint. Inside 

is a photocopy of a picture of the love birds, 

prominently displaced with the captions, Chief 

Karuri wa Gakure, the great Agikuyu chief who 

introduced missionaries. On his left, Wangu is 

described as chief. The houses occupied by the 

guards who answered to the beck and call of 

Wangu still stand shielded from the elements by 

its roof of red bricks which were manufactured 

12 years after Wangu’s birth. The roofing tiles 

resting on rotting wood were manufactured in 

1868 by A. Alberquake and Sons, while its floor is 

made of quarry stones laid acting as the surface. 

The cell, which held the men later selected to 

act as Wangu and Karuri’s taxis is also intact 

although its door has been yanked out just as 

the safe which was used by Wangu to keep her 

valuables and secrets. Tired of being treated 

harshly by the colonial chief who reminded them 

of two centuries ago when the Agikuyu were 

dominated by women who ruled their every 

aspect of life until the Iregi age group revolted, 

the men of Weithaga plotted and waited. 

Ruler or Tyrant? 

Wanyoike recounts an incident when Wangu’s 

dog was allegedly hit and killed by a man who 

wanted to scare it away. This resulted in the 

entire location being punished for the dog’s 

death. Wangu imposed a penalty of two shillings 

(a lot of money then) on every man in the 

location so that she could buy another one. All 

the men obliged and promptly paid the fine. 

When an intoxicated man named Muraya 

tried to disrupt an elders’ meeting at Koimbi, 

the consequences were drastic. He was 

made the laughing stock of Weithaga. The 

uncompromising administrator forced 

the drunken Muraya to kneel before the 

congregation of villagers and sat on his back as 

she addressed a public meeting. 

Wangu’s fall from grace to grass. 

Her downfall when it came was spectacular and 

sent shockwaves in the entire district. Records 

are not clear on the exact date that Wangu fell 

from glory. 

Wangu had committed the ultimate insult 

against tradition and her colonial office after 

she allegedly danced kibata, an exclusive adult 

male dance often done by men- nude. Various 

theories have been advanced explaining the 

circumstances that led to her dancing but all 

agree that she had grossly violated tradition 

when she joined the male warriors in the 

dance. Some theorists claim that Karuri, an 

elder of repute with over 60 wives, disregarded 

etiquettes by joining the warriors who were 

engrossed in the dance prior to an important 

meeting. On seeing her hero and lover dancing 

with youth and vigour, Wangu threw caution 

to the wind, discarded some of her clothing 

and exposed her breasts as she provocatively 

danced clutching Karuri. Mwangi offers another 

explanation: “Before she joined the dancers, 

some men adjusted her ceremonial sword tied to 

the waist alongside her muthuru. The sword cut 

the strings of her traditional skirt, which flopped 

to the ground as Wangu jumped ecstatically, 

exposing her nakedness”. After the scandalous 

dance, Wangu became the subject of ridicule and 

during a meeting held between the 2nd to the 

4th June 1909, she was forced to resign. Her fate 

was sealed and she bowed out in disgrace and 

scandal. 

Chief Karuri –her erstwhile lover accepted the 

meetings outcome, ending her decade long 

reign of terror. In her place Ikai wa Gathimba 

was appointed and never again has a provincial 

administrator from Murang’a captured the 

imagination of an entire region like Wangu 

did. One of her sons, Muchiri, became chief of 

Weithaga Location and the compound from 

where she asserted her colonial supremacy has 

since become a bastion of hope for 50 orphans 

for the last 34 years, when Murang’a County 

Council established a children’s home. 

Cited with gratitude and appreciation: Credit and 

Source: Makers of History by Mary W. Wanyoike and 

The Standard Newspaper. 


Equity Bank has a Diaspora Banking Unit specially dedicated to 

handling Diaspora customers’ needs in Nairobi’s Kilimani area, along 

Argwings Kodhek Road and customers can contact them on their direct 

line: +254763026481 or Contact Centre Number: +254-763063000 

as well as email: kenyans.abroad@equitybank.co.ke 

EQUITY BANK WOOS THE 

DIASPORA MARKET WITH 

REVOLUTIONARY SOLUTIONS 

20 

Kenyans in diaspora regularly send money 

back home, either for family members’ 

general support or for investment. Diaspora 

remittance to Kenya is one of the highest 

in Africa and is also the largest source of 

foreign earnings in the country. This has 

seen financial institutions such as Equity 

Bank step in to support Kenyans with 

banking and investment options back 

home. 

Equity Bank has over time established itself 

as one of the leading financial institutions 

in East Africa, a status attained by the 

institution’s purpose to transform the 

lives and livelihoods of those residing in 

the region as well as those living across 

the globe. The bank has achieved this 

goal by availing cutting edge technology 

and comprehensive financial services 

that have seen the institution excel in 

banking a huge population especially in 

Kenya. 

The Bank currently commands the largest 

customer base in the sector regionally 

with over 11.4 million bank accounts and 

over 50% of all bank accounts in Kenya. It 

operates as Equity Group Holdings Limited 

with banking subsidiaries in Uganda, 

Tanzania, South Sudan, Rwanda and the 

Democratic Republic of Congo. The Group 

is listed at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, 

The Rwanda Stock Exchange and Uganda 

Securities Exchange. 

Equity Diaspora offering 

For a long time, the diaspora’s contribution 

to Africa’s development has been critiqued 

only in terms of the remittance that is 

primarily sent to support families. However, 

the diaspora is also key to supporting 

transformative development in the 

continent. Equity has long recognised this 

and strives to cater for its varied client base 

who resides beyond the East and Central 

African region. 

The Bank has positioned itself as a financial 

banking partner with a number of tailormade 

banking products and services to 

effectively serve them. Under its Equity 

Bank Diaspora Banking arm, Equity Bank 

guarantees a dedicated, qualified and 

professional staff, a 24hr contact centre 

to handle customer queries with quick 

resolution of queries and an overall worldclass 

service that is custom-made to suit 

diaspora customer needs. 

The institution has also availed a number 

of online platforms aimed at ensuring 

that clients in the diaspora enjoy seamless 

banking services. Most notably, the bank 

offers the EazzyBanking solutions which 

are more secure and real-time. Diaspora 

clients can now perform their banking 

transactions with a few clicks and taps by 

logging into the Diaspora self-service portal 

(https://diaspora.equitybankgroup.com/ 

login) – EazzyNet or the EazzyBanking Appwhere 

they can access their bank accounts 

easily and transact from anywhere anytime. 

Besides general transactions on their 

accounts, the diaspora clients can also 

access a number of services including; 

trading in stocks by linking their Central 

Depository System (CDS) account to their 

bank account which enables them to 

initiate the buying and selling of stocks 

and shares. Through the online portal, a 

client in the diaspora can also purchase an 

insurance cover for themselves or loved 

ones back home. 

Customers can also send and access their 

money through a wide range of reliable 

money transfer platforms such as Equity 

Direct, PayPal, Western Union, Money Gram 

and Visa Direct available in world’s major 

markets. For PayPal and Equity Direct, an 

account holder simply needs to link their 

accounts through the self-service online 

portal to start enjoying the services from 

various touch points. Through Visa Direct, 

Equity Bank Visa cardholders can receive 

funds domestically and internationally from 

any Visa sending partners worldwide. 

The Diaspora Banking Portal also offers 

clients a convenient way to open an 

account and easily manage their finances 

from wherever they are. The accounts 

are available in both Kenya shillings and 

Foreign currency that suit individual 

financial needs such as; Diaspora Current 

Account, Diaspora Eazzy Save Account, 

Diaspora Business Account, Diaspora 

Jijenge Account, Fixed Deposit Account 

and Diaspora Junior Member Account. 

The diaspora clients can also access loans

Equity Bank CEO, Dr. James Mwangi, together with Equity Bank’s Director of 

Strategy, Mary Wamae, receive the Euromoney Award Certificate from the event 

organisers in London while on the UK diaspora tour where Dr. Mwangi was 

speaking to Kenyans on ‘Investment Opportunities in East Africa’. Equity Bank was 

named as Africa’s Best Bank for the year 2016. 

and other credit facilities through these 

accounts to help them meet their lifetime 

goals. 

Corporate Social Responsibility Redefined 

Through the Equity Group Foundation 

(EGF) that was launched in 2008, the bank 

strives to contribute to the transformation 

of lives and livelihoods through the 

development and implementation of 

innovative programmes that leverage 

existing infrastructure and link partners to 

the bottom of the pyramid. 

The Foundation works in partnerships 

with their target beneficiaries through 

key thematic areas where the various 

achievements have been realized. 

The Key EGF pillars are; 

· Education and Leadership 

Development 

· Health 

· Financial Inclusion and Literacy 

· Innovation 

· Entrepreneurship 

· Agriculture 

· Energy and Environment 

The main goal of EGF is to transform 

100 million lives by 2024 and this can be 

achieved by the partnership and support of 

likeminded institutions and individuals. 

1. Number of Wings to Fly beneficiaries 

is nearly 15,000 at a cost of Kshs 14 

billion 

2. FIKA financial literacy training for 

small medium enterprises reached 1.5 

million youth, 

3. women and micro enterprises 

4. Air lifts to global leading universities 

nearly 400 students at cost Kshs 9.6 

billion 

5. 600,000 small scale peasant farmers 

transformed into agro-business 

through training 

6. 25,000 enterprises receiving 3 years 

entrepreneurship training 

7. 2500 medium scale farmers supported 

to transform through value addition 

Equity Group Foundation Corporate Social 

Responsibility Impact as at December, 2016 

Key Accolades and Recognitions 

Equity Bank is the most locally and globally 

awarded and recognized bank in the 

country. It has been ranked globally by 

The Banker Magazine’s Top 1,000 Banks in 

the World 2016 as the fastest growing Big 

Bank in Africa; 8th Best Bank in the World 

on Return on Assets for the second year 

running and 43rd Best Bank in the World in 

Soundness as measured by Capital Asset 

Ratio while being ranked the 34th Best 

Bank in terms of Return on Capital. 

Euromoney Awards for Excellence named 

Equity as Africa’s Best Bank 2016, Kenya’s 

Best Bank and Africa’s Best SME Bank. 

Equity Bank was also named Africa’s Best 

Retail Bank for the Year 2017 during the 

African Banker Awards. In June this year, 

Equity Bank’s efforts were celebrated 

by it featuring in the World Bank’s book 

“Developing Africa’s Financial Services” 

– The Importance of High-Impact 

Entrepreneurship - as one of the best 

practice case studies in Africa. Indeed 

the Bank’s transformation into a rapidly 

growing Pan-African banking institution 

has been an inspiration to many. 

For the last 5 consecutive years, Equity 

has won the award for the ‘Best Bank 

in Kenya’ in the annual Think Business 

Banking Awards because of its remarkable 

performance, product offering, great 

customer service and reach. 

Additionally Superbrands East Africa has 

for the last 10 years in a row recognized 

Equity Bank as a ‘Top Banking super brand 

in Kenya. 

Through the Social Sustainability 

Agenda, the Bank has received numerous 

accolades for enhancing livelihoods in the 

society. Equity Bank was a recipient of the 

Humanitarian Resilience Impact Award at 

this year’s RES/CON 2017 Global Resilience 

Summit held in March in New Orleans, 

United States. The Award recognises 

businesses that have excelled in improving 

community welfare, innovation, advancing 

local and global economies and disaster 

management. 

21

EAZZYBANKING APP: CONVENIENCE HAS NEVER BEEN THIS EASY 

Are you looking for a way to achieve 

convenience in making payments 

back home? Well why not try out the 

EazzyBanking App? It promises to provide 

you with just that… convenience. 

EazzyBanking App, an Equity Bank mobile 

banking platform, has revolutionized 

the way we can send money and make 

payments for bills, goods and services. 

Through the App one can easily transact 

wherever they are. 

The App is available on Google Play 

Store or Apple’s App Store for free on any 

smart phone irrespective of the mobile 

network you subscribe to. Once you have 

downloaded the App, you can register 

with your account details (Account 

Number) using your Equity Bank debit/ 

ATM card. If you do not have an ATM 

card, you can register with the help of 

a relationship manager. All you need to 

do is to share your account details with 

us through the App, after which your 

relationship manager will perform a 

callback to identify you and to verify the 

authenticity of the request. Once verified, 

you will receive an M-banking PIN by SMS 

which will enable you login to the App. 

This cutting-edge platform enables a 

customer to enjoy an array of services; 

making your lifestyle easy and convenient: 

MANAGE YOUR BANK ACCOUNT(S): 

You can use your App to securely view 

your accounts, transfer funds, and check 

your account statements, transactions and 

summary in a graphical and intuitive way. 

You can also securely and conveniently 

send money, transfer money, send airtime 

or bundles to loved ones back home at 

your own convenience and without using 

a middleman. Remember the more you 

transact through the platform the more 

you increase your credit score. 

TRANSFER FUNDS: 

The App is also interoperable allowing 

you to send money to other Kenyan banks 

(maximum Ksh 500,000/approx. GBP 3,800 

per day), and to various mobile banking 

platforms including Airtel money and 

MPESA. You can also send a maximum of 

one million Kenya Shillings (approx. GBP 

7600) a day to other Equity Bank Accounts 

for free. 

MAKE PAYMENTS: 

through EazzyPay: Customers can pay 

bills including electricity and water, pay 

for goods & services like shopping back 

home straight from the EazzyBanking 

App. All you need is an outlet that have 

EazzyPay signs at shops, supermarkets, 

airlines, petrol stations, hotels as well as 

online. 

STOCKS & FOREX: 

Monitoring the performance of stocks 

at the Nairobi Stock Exchange has never 

been easier. The App allows you to view 

how the shares/stocks are performing 

and also to check on currency exchange 

rates in real time. You also have a currency 

converter on the App. 

GOALS: 

Saving for goals has been made very 

easy. The EazzyBanking App supports 

you in saving for your goals; these could 

include saving to purchase an items like 

a car, or saving for a specific project like 

building construction; to even saving for 

a wedding. All you need to do is to go 

to the goal icon and choose a name for 

your savings goal. Then, every day, week, 

or month, you can set aside money for 

your goal. Once you have achieved your 

savings goal, you can withdraw your lump 

sum. 

MAKE THE APP YOUR OWN: 

To cap it all, the EazzyBanking App 

allows you to take a selfie and update 

your profile picture with a photo of your 

choice. You can also add an icon, name 

your App and customize the background 

the way you want. 

The EazzyBanking App is available on 

Google Play Store or Apple App Store. 

For more information, log onto our portals 

http://ke.equitybankgroup.com/diaspora/ 

or call +254-763063000 

22 

Kenya’s Chairman of Vision 2030 Delivery Board 

and Equity Bank CEO, Dr. James Mwangi, addresses 

guests during Equity’s 2016 UK Diaspora Tour. Dr. 

Mwangi was speaking to Kenyans about Investment 

opportunities in East Africa that the Diaspora can 

utilize. 2ND EDITION | JULY 2017 

Kenya’s Chairman of Vision 2030 Delivery Board and Equity Bank CEO, 

Dr. James Mwangi talks to some of the guests that attended the UK 

Diaspora Tour dinner where he made a presentation about ‘Investment 

Opportunities in East Africa’.

ANNAH KIMANI 

You can order both paperback books 

directly from me by sending an email to 

Facebook :@AKimaniPublications 

Twitter: @agckimani 

Email: akimanipublications@gmail.com 

God rewards our obedience. As you read my 

books, you will be inspired to higher levels 

of service to God in your own life, Local 

community and the World. 

I like inspiring and empowering 

people. A teacher by profession. 

Currently started writing books. I 

will soon release other inspiring 

and empowering and yet 

challenging academic journals 

and Diary resources. 

You can purchase my books in 

paperback or EBook. 

My 1ST book “Be Obedient to 

God’s Calling; When He Calls you 

Will you Answer? is now available 

in Black and White and in colour. 

It is available for order online. It 

is available in the book itself - 

Paperback 2ND and in EDITION E-book. 

2ND EDITION 

| 

| JULY 2017 

JULY 2017 

23

Design by Alex email: lensdesign07@gmail.com 

For latest news and happening in our Communities 

www.misterseed.com 

WHO WE ARE 

The biggest community website outside Kenya 

Over 5,000 people have bought properties 

through the website 

Peter Karanja well known as 

Mr. Seed of www.misterseed.com is 

the first Kenyan to create a community 

website since 1999. 

Over 40 couples have met and married through 

the website 

Hundreds of lost friends have met and reunited 

through this great website 

Hundreds of emotional and life changing stories 

through these one stop shop 

Hundreds of orphans and poor children have 

greatly benefited from www.misterseed.com 

“It is the most talked website in the Diaspora” 

GET INFORMATION 

ABOUT WHATS HAPPENING 

IN YOUR COMMUNITY 


24 


1-2-1 with Mzee NDUVA 

He came to the UK before Kenya’s independence 

when the only means of communication was through 

letters with a weekly paycheque of less than £5.00. Our 

Managing Editor Thomas Musau has a rare interview 

with Mzee Joseph Munyao Nduva. 

If a twenty year-old young man working as barman in 

an army barracks in Nairobi with nothing more than a 

primary school certificate was told he would one day 

work in the UK’s Royal Kensington & Chelsea Council 

as Group Manager he would dismiss this a joke gone 

too far. But this is exactly how it turned out for Mzee 

Joseph Nduva after a former colonial master noticed his 

dedication to work and decided to reward him. 

Joseph was born in Metuma Village, Ngelani sub location, 

Machakos County, in the middle of the Second World War. 

After his standard eight (KAPE) exam in 1958, Joseph at the age 

of 18 was unable to continue to secondary education for lack of 

fees and like many people of his time migrated from his village 

to Nairobi for greener pastures. 

With limited education Joseph was lucky to get a job as a 

barman working in the army barracks in Kenya’s capital Nairobi. 

This was the best thing that he could wish for and he knew 

with his monthly salary of 80 shillings per month, he would 

feed his father’s entire family of eight and support his siblings 

through education and not to become a drop-out like himself. 

The future for the young man and his family was bright and he 

considered himself very lucky. No wonder he gave everything 

he could to keep his job working for white bosses. 

‘To me I was doing my job like everyone else’ He quips. But little 

did he know that his passion and dedication was being noticed 

by his line manager who had by then been asked by his boss 

to help him recruit some people for his property management 

jobs in the UK. 

One day after working for two years as a barman Joseph 

reported to work as usual and his line manager told him that 

the General Manager wanted to see him in his office. 

He said: “Although I knew I had done nothing, being 

summoned to the Overall Manager’s office only meant one 

thing; that my job was over. Those times we were not allowed 

to ask questions and I just left what I was doing and went to 

the General Manager’s office expecting the worst.” 

In the office Mr Nduva was surprised that instead of the usual 


Mzee Nduva and wife, 

Julius Mbaluto Informer 

publication 

bad news of being sacked whenever anyone 

was summoned to the General Manager’s 

office, he was asked if he would be willing 

to take up a job in London as a property 

management assistant. 

‘At first I thought I was dreaming but after 

a good chat with the general manager 

explaining why he had considered to offer 

me the position, it all started to sink in.” Mzee 

Nduva explained. 

He was then given two months off to go and 

prepare for his departure to London while his 

travel documents were being processed. 

When Mr Nduva went to the village in 

Machakos and told his parents about the 

good news they believed him but the entire 

village did not. So when the time came for 

Joseph to leave for the UK he left quietly and 

many people only knew about his coming to 

the UK long after he had settled. 

Setting his foot in the UK the first time in 

1963 Mzee Nduva says was like being an 

alien on the face of earth. Black people were 

very few and majority were from the African 

Caribbean who were so different from the 

Africans he was used to back in Kenya. This 

meant that Mzee Nduva did not have any 

social life outside his work. Thus the only 

preoccupation of visiting different clients 

to collect their rent and to make sure the 

houses were in good order. If the houses 

needed any repair work he would contact 

the maintenance team. 

To keep himself busy outside working hours, 

Mzee Nduva enrolled for evening classes 

in the London’s African School of Oriental 

Studies to study languages. Later he did an 

access course because he wanted to enrol for 

a higher diploma or degree course. 

While Mzee Nduva was about to complete 

his access course he came across an 

apprenticeship programme with Royal 

Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. 

Mzee Nduva saw this an opportunity to 

put his new skills into practice and applied 

for the apprenticeship opportunity. He 

was luckily recruited to do a programme in 

waste management. His training led to a 

full time job working at the Council’s Waste 

Management department for over thirty 

years until he retired in 1999. 

Mzee Nduva is married with four grown up 

children and eight grand-children who all 

live in the UK. 

Mzee Nduva with wife, a retired mid-wife 

keep themselves busy through engagement 

with various charitable projects. 

One of the main projects close to their heart 

is a school construction project in their home 

village in Metuma in Ngelani Location of 

Machakos County. Here they have worked 

together with their children and friends 

in the UK to build a brand new school to 

replace the old building that is falling apart. 

So far three classes are complete and they 

are currently fundraising for three more 

classes. 

Apart from the school project the couple are 

involved with various charity projects that 

have won them a few accolades. Mzee Nduva 

won an award is volunteering on a MOPAC 

project which involves visiting police stations 

and prison centres raising funds, talking and 

advising detainees. Mzee Nduva has also 

been honoured for supporting by fundraising 

for Great Ormond Children’s Hospital 

in London, has won him an award for his 

contribution to the society from the London’s 

Mayor. Also, Mr and Mrs Nduva have been 

visiting old and sick people in their homes 

to support them with shopping and other 

house chores. 

The couple look after themselves by taking 

their breaks at the start of winter to their 

holiday home in Kenya where they stay for 

four months and come back to the UK in 

spring. 

What more can you ask?? 

26 



FROM PAGE 06CONTINUES PAGE >> 46 

the Diaspora for national development. 

The Head of State further informed 

that the Government has provided the 

Independent Electoral and Boundaries 

Commission (IEBC) with necessary 

budgetary provisions and was looking 

forward to a peaceful, free and fair election. 

His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta 

with the UK Prime Minister the Rt. Hon 

Theresa May 

in order to take advantage of positive 

developments regarding improved 

ease of doing business. He reiterated 

the commitment of the Government to 

keeping the economy open to all investors. 

The Head of State also assured investors of 

enhanced security situation in the country 

and Government’s resolve to continue 

securing its citizens, visitors, investors and 

their property. 

Some of the companies represented 

include Tullow Oil, CDC Group Plc, Cluff 

Geothermal, Somak Travel, De La Rue, BAT, 

Stephenson Harwood Law Firm, BP, Clarke 

Energy Ltd, Global Tea & Commodities Ltd 

(Kericho Gold), Equinox Energy Capital, 

Barclays Bank, Unilever, Actis, Standard 

Chartered Bank, Helios Investment Partners 

LLP, and Tropical Power Ltd, among others. 

Among other things, deliberations were 

centred around construction of the 

Mombasa value addition plant worth 

$25 million (Kshs. 2.585 billion) by Global 

Tea & Commodities Ltd, finalization of 

the electricity transmission line to 310 

Megawatts Lake Turkana Wind Power 

Project by Aldwych International, launching 

of a $250 million, 35-megawatt hyacinthto-energy 

plant in Lake Victoria in Homa 

Bay County by Equinox Energy Capital and 

establishment of Hinduja Group’s regional 

office for Africa in Nairobi. 

During the meeting with the Chief Minister 

of Jersey on 12th May 2017, the two Heads 

of Government agreed to develop and sign 

a broad-ranging cooperation agreement 

(MOU) to include: negotiations on a Double 

Taxation Agreement (DTA) and Bilateral 

Investment Treaty (BIT) between Jersey and 

Kenya; a fully asset recovery agreement 

in line with the proposed international 

framework; and also a programme of 

cooperation to combat financial crime. 

DIASPORA 

While meeting the Kenyan Diaspora 

representatives on 11th May 2017, the 

President emphasized that the Government 

values and treasures their contribution in 

national development. He said that apart 

from the economic capital provided by the 

Diaspora through remittance, they possess 

a wealth of experience and know-how in 

every possible discipline of business and 

enterprise that needs to be harnessed 

for the country’s development. The Head 

of State singled out the creation of the 

Diaspora department and development 

of the Diaspora policy which seeks to 

formalize and enhance engagement with 

The President reiterated that the country 

had hoped that all eligible Kenyans in the 

Diaspora could have had an opportunity to 

vote in the General elections. However, due 

to tight timeliness and politics around the 

IEBC, the Commission was forced inform 

that only Kenyans in Burundi, Tanzania, 

Uganda, Rwanda and South Africa would 

participate in the elections. He, however, 

stated that the Diaspora could still play a 

very significant role in promoting national 

unity and cohesion even during the 

election period. 

H.E. Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, C.G.H., with 

Representatives from the Kenya Diaspora 

The President further informed that the 

Delegation was in London to participate 

in the London Somalia Conference 

considering the critical role Kenya is 

playing in the restoration of peace in 

Somalia and the sub-region. At the national 

level, the Head of State enumerated some 

of Government’s achievements to date 

including the development of essential 

infrastructure to support manufacturing 

and industrialization, transforming 

agriculture, improving the business 

environment, provision of enhanced social 

services, and development of rural areas 

through devolution. He further called for 

their support to enable the Government 

to continue implementing its priority 

programs aimed at raising country’s 

productivity for sustainable and inclusive 

growth. 

Kenya Diaspora Representatives during 

their Meeting with His Excellency President 

Uhuru Kenyatta 

Speaking during the event, the High 

Commissioner of Kenya Mr. Lazarus 

Amayo thanked the Head of State for 

finding time on the sidelines of the 

Somalia Conference to talk to the Kenyan 

Diaspora representatives. He also thanked 


Voice of the youth 

My story begins in the heart of Kenya, 

Nairobi! Born in Kenya and partially raised 

my mother always made sure I never forgot 

where I was from and my roots. When I 

moved to the UK in 2000 at the age of 6 it 

was a whole new world. My mum and I both 

spoke kikuyu and everyone else seemed 

alien like to me. The one thing I’m glad that 

keeps me close to my culture is my mother 

tongue. Many young people my age (21) 

aren’t fluent or can only understand their 

languages. It gives a sense of community 

and understand in my opinion and all 

parents should push their children to love 

and speak their mother tongue. As time 

has passed things have changed in society 

and 16 years after being in the United 

Kingdom. At the age of 16 i was diagnosed 

with Myoclonic Epilepsy which at that 

stage of my life became an insecurity. I was 

used to the idea of freedom and being a 

young free spirit. However once the MRI 

scans began the feeling of being shackled 

by a neurological condition finally caught 

up with me. It’s left me with both physical 

and emotional scars. It wasn’t something 

I wanted or expected but it’s become 

something I’m living with on 

a daily basis. I’m currently a 

final year university student 

doing an undergraduate in 

Sociology & Criminology. 

They don’t prepare you for 

what’s coming your way 

which can be a good or bad 

thing. My blog ‘GirlCode 

with Comfort Botha’ is a 

platform I use to share 

experiences, push younger 

females to do better than 

I did and give advice and 

Comfort to those who ask 

for it. It’s not easy living a 

society where you are the 

minority. However, it gets 

easier if you get out of your 

own way and accept the 

circumstances you’ve been 

placed in and just deal with 

it. Having a community of 

people around you that 

support your plans,dreams 

and purpose is key in your 

success. 

28 


DIANA MUSAU 

10 year old receiving her Volunteer Award Certificate from the Leader 

of the Council for her community work as a Volunteer for The Diaspora 

Community Projects. Diana Volunteers at her father’s (Thomas Musau) 

employment and training support social enterprise to update learner 

details and organise stake holder events to promote the work of 

Diaspora among the local residents. In return she gets her pocket 

money to buy her school effects. 

Boxer 

FLYOD NJENGA 

and his mum 

Full story next issue... 

PHOEBE 

RUGURU 

FILM MAKER FROM 

PETERBOROUGH 

Watch out for our 

next main stream 

actress, dancer 

and model 

in our next 

issue. Getting 

herself ready 

at university 

studying 

performing arts. 

DENNESE 

MANYASI 


29

A Quest for Truth & Justice through 

understanding Kenya’s history. 

My name is Odhiambo Levin Opiyo and 

I am a journalist by profession. Using my 

journalism skills I also share on my Facebook 

timeline some of the knowledge I gain from 

my research about our country’s history. 

Yes the lost and forgotten history of 

our beloved country Kenya. 

I do this, because most official 

documents related to the colonial 

period in Kenya were and are 

still kept in Britain. Regrettably 

the most incriminating ones 

were burnt and others 

sunk in the Indian Ocean 

just before Kenya got 

independence-clearly with 

the aim of accomplishing the 

systematic cover-up Britain 

perfected to an art to avoid 

being held to account for its 

atrocities. 

The late Minister Foreign 

Affairs Dr Robert Ouko 

tried severally to negotiate 

with the British in the 

1980s, so that some of 

the documents could 

be returned to Kenya to 

assist Kenyan scholars 

in their research but 

the British Government 

understandably refused. 

But by sparing my time to 

obtain and share this information, 

those who are eager to know but 

can’t travel to Britain, are able 

to get an insight into the root 

cause of much of our 

present social political 

and economic processes. 

They are also able to gain some 

knowledge through their own 

reconstruction on the rise of resistance 

such as Mau Mau and what motivated 

nationalists such as Jomo Kenyatta, Oginga 

Odinga, Tom Mboya, Paul Ngei, and Masinde 

Muliro into the liberation struggle. 

Of course it is difficult to please everyone 

and some information can sound strange 

and more like fiction, but this is what 

to expect when people can’t access the 

information that rightfully belongs to them. 

Although it is time consuming, I always 

draw great satisfaction from the fact that, 

as a result of the information I bring out, 

people readily join into informed debates 

and discussions and new information, at the 

end of the day I also get educated. 

Finally I feel honoured that whatever I have 

been doing is being highlighted at the 

time when “Kenya and Friends in the Park” 

are holding their 2017 event which brings 

all Kenyans in the UK together, helping to 

debunk the widely held misconception that 

all Africans in diaspora have forgotten their 

identity, roots and history. 

Thank you and I hope that we will 

learn more as we go along. 

Kwaheri. And feel free to reach me 

on opiyo.levin@gmail.com. 

A somali warrior 

A Ndorobo woman 

A Kikuyu dancer. 

30 


The Darkest Hours of Victory, is a 

play written and directed by Malaika 

Dance Unique on Mau Mau rebellion 

and Kenya’s fight for independence. 

Riddled with humour and bringing 

to life the art of dance, the play tells 

the story of Kenya as it embarked 

on its long hard road to National 

Sovereignty. Colonialism in Kenya 

by the British started from the 

19th century until Kenya gained 

independence in 1963. Kenyan 

opposition to British imperialism led 

to the uprise of the Mau Mau also 

known as the Mau Mau rebellion who 

fought fiercely between 1952 and 

1960. 

THE 

DARKEST 

HOURS 

OF 

VICTORY 

Combined with other traditions, 

these forms of expression and 

lifestyle form an identity that is 

uniquely Kenyan. We aim to pave a 

way for reconciliation and healing 

within the community promoting the 

spirit of togetherness, by recognizing, 

challenging and addressing the 

barriers to full, effective and 

meaningful participation, while 

promoting community cohesion 

through performing arts. 

The UK still enjoys a close postcolonial 

relationship with Kenya. The 

Darkest Hours Of Victory is coming 

back in full demand this Black History 

Month as Kenyans are gearing up for 

their Mashuja Day. 

13TH AND 14TH 

OCTOBER 2017 

Time: 7pm – 9pm 

VENUE: 

JO RICHARDSON 

COMMUNITY SCHOOL 

GALE STREETCASTLE 

GREEN. DAGENHAM 

RM9 4UN 

____________________________ 

Price: £10 Adults 

£5 Children under 16 years 

____________________________ 

For more information: 

Lydia Olet: +44 7853207075 

Dennese: +44 7429692561 

The play is educative in the History of 

Kenya, we are privileged to have with 

us the one and only Kenyan Historian 

in the UK Levin Opiyo Odhiambo 

a very well respected and known 

historian in Kenya, UK and abroad to 

enlighten the play more to its fullest. 

Today, the multifaceted culture 

of Kenya is expressed in different 

forms, ranging from its people and 

language, food, music and dance to 

its ethnic values and ethical norms. 

ABOUT US: Malaika Dance Unique is 

an artistic company based in the UK SUPPORTED BY: 

that deals in various forms of African 

art work. They provide education and 

entertainment activities ranging from 

African Dancing, Acting, Drumming, 

Tye and Dye, Yarn Making and 

Storytelling for Schools, Colleges, 

universities, teachers, Care homes, 

hospices, libraries, communities 

groups, weddings, private parties, 

birthdays, churches and any special 

event. 2ND EDITION | JULY 2017 

31

ZANGI 

Zangi, is a UK-based Kenyan 

gospel artist. His first passion is 

music and he loves to use this as 

a way of expressing his faith. 

Zangi writes and performs 

his songs across the UK and 

has worked with a number 

of churches and voluntary 

organizations. He has won a 

range of awards in recognition 

of his music in UK and America, 

including one for culture and 

community-building within the 

UK. A freelance 

music facilitator, he has travelled 

to parts of Europe and Africa 

to work with young people to 

promote unity through music and 

the creative arts. 

In the UK he has worked with 

older people with dementia 

and young people with 

disabilities, and used music to 

build confidence and inspire 

creativity. As well as his love 

for music, Zangi is passionate 

about people, and has had the 

privilege of working with the 

homeless for several years. He 

and his wife also provide foster 

care for vulnerable children. Most 

recently, Zangi and a team of his 

friends established ‘The Root’ a 

registered charity in Kenya that 

aims to empower people to bring 

about positive change in their 

local communities. 

32 


NEXT KENYA & FRIENDS IN THE PARK 

EVENT (28TH JULY 2018) 

BARKING PARK 

Longbridge Road. Barking, 

London.IG11 8UD

VOCALIST , DANCER, 

PROFESSIONAL 

RECORDING AND 

PERFORMING ARTIST 

An experienced female vocalist/Dancer based in the South- 

East of England. A professional recording, performing 

artist, Mistony has performed in many Festivals, Concerts, 

Corporate Events, major Functions, Soirées and many 

other occasions. 

A versatile and flexible singer with a mix of Different 

sounds. 

The Singer/songwriter and producer has taken UK by 

storm with her captivating voice and Look. 

Mistony has worked and performed with many artist in the 

music industry such as the great koffi Olomide (congo), 

Jose Chameleone (Uganda), Elephant Man (jamaica) Kanda 

Bongo man (Congo) Jaguar (Kenya), Top Cat (Jamaica), 

Nameless (kenya) and many more. 

Her versatile dancing and captivating voice provides a 

platform for her to perform a variety of styles including 

(but not limited to) African, afrobeats, house/dance and 

Popular Music. 


33 33

34 



36 


PCEA WOMAN’S 

GUILD WEEK 

2017 

LONDON 

From left: Mrs Mbaki, Catherine Karoki and Mrs Lucy 

Githinji. 

PCEA Woman’s Guild Week 2017 took place at PCEA St. 

Mathews Church, Stratford, London on Sunday 4th June, 

2017. The colourful ceremony was celebrated throughout 

Kenya and abroad to mark Woman’s Guild Week which 

started on 29th May to 4th June 2017. The theme of the 

week was from Colossians 3:15: “ Let the peace of Christ 

rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you 

were called to peace. And be thankful.” The preacher of the 

day was Mrs. Mary Gachukia from Northampton. Women 

came wearing Woman’s Guild Headscarves and badges. 

A message from PCEA National Woman’s Guild Secretary 

in Kenya was read at the ceremony by Mrs. Lucy Githinji 

the chairlady of the Women’s Guild. The message said 

that Woman’s Guild Week theme this year is on PEACE. 

This being an election year in Kenya. We need to remind 

ourselves and all other people about the importance of 

peace in our nation. As women, we have a crucial role to 

play as agents of justice, peace, healing and reconciliation 

in our homes, communities and in the nation. 

Women’s Guild group photo 

PCEA women’s guild presenting a song 

PCEA St.Mathew’s men fellowship 

PCEA St. Mathew’s 2ND church, EDITION Stratford London. | JULY 2017 

37

KENYA 

COUNTRYFILE 

How much do you now about 

Kenya? The following summarizes 

key aspects about our country and 

we hope you and your children 

can benefit from it 

Comfy B 

Independence from Britain on 12 th 

December 1963. 

Geography & Demographics. 

Kenya is the 49 th largest country in the 

world covering an area of 581,309 km 2 . 

With a population of 45 million the 

overwhelming majority of whom are 

below the age of 50. 

Administration. 

The country was previously divided into 

8 provinces- Central, Rift-valley, Coast, 

Nyanza, Western, Eastern, Nairobi and 

North Eastern. 

After the new constitution in 2010, the 

country is now divided into 47 countieseach 

headed by a governor akin to the 

ones we have in the US- or Nigeria. 

Nairobi remains the political, economic 

and social capital of the country with 

very limited effort to move any national 

foundations elsewhere. 

Politics and governance. 

A presidential system with a president 

elected after every 5 years. 

Two Legislative houses-the Lower House 

- Parliament with 349 members and 

the upper house- The Senate with 67 

members. 

Membership is by election through 

some members are nominated directly 

by their political parties. 

All counties have elected members 

who form regional parliaments and 

governments. 

Kenya has had 4 presidents since 

independence: 

ü 

ü 

ü 

ü 

Jomo Kenyatta who led the 

country to independence until 

his death in 1978. 

Daniel arap Moi from 1978 to 

2002. 

Emilio Mwai Kibaki- from 

2002-2013-todate. 

Uhuru Kenyatta (son to the first 

president)-2013-todate. 

*Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga served as the 

second prime minister of the country 

from 2008-2013. 

Regional hub. 

Nairobi remains a regional and the 

African headquarters of many global 

corporations such as GE, Google, GSK, 

and Microsoft; as well as scientific 

and research organization such as 

the International center for inspect 

physiology and ecology-ICIPE. 

It is the only third world country with 

a UN headquarters-the United Nations 

environmental program located in 

Nairobi along Limuru Road 

Major exports 

· Tea, coffee, horticulture (flowers 

and fruits), pyrethrum, tourism and 

manufactured goods to the region. 

· Sports especially athletes, rugby 

and recently footballer(s). 

key economic sectors 

1. Agriculture, horticulture and food 

processing. 

2. Banking and insurance. 

3. Technology and mobile 

communication. Among the country 

with the highest mobile phone 

connectivity with 35 million active 

mobile phone handsets. 

4. Dairy farming. 

5. Kenya will soon be a major exporter 

of valuable minerals, oil and natural 

gas. 

Major tourist attractions/Places to 

visit: 

· The spectacular and beautiful Great 

Rift Valley. 

· The great Mount Kenya (the second 

highest mountain in Africa). 

· Maasai Mara Game Reserve and 

specifically the wildest migration 

across the crocodile infested Mara 

River. 

38 


· The Nairobi National Park in the 

outskirts of Nairobi. 

· Beautiful and spectacular beaches 

at the Kenyan coast. 

· The Fort Jesus along Nkrumah 

Road in Mombasa -Built by the 

Portuguese explorers and opened 

in 1593. 

· Bullfighting in Western Kenya. 

National Anthem. 

The Kenya national anthem expresses 

the convictions and aspirations of the 

Kenyan people. It was commissioned 

in 1963 – Originally in Swahili and was 

based on a traditional tune sung by 

mothers of the Pokomo Community to 

their children. 

Key personalities: 

· Field Marshall Dedan Kimathi 

Waciuri (deceased)- A brilliant 

military organiser who led the 

Mau Mau uprising against the 

British. Captured and executed by 

the British on 18 th February 1957; 

and sadly still buried at the Kamiti 

Maximum security prison to this 

day. 

· Jomo Kenyatta (deceased) - 

Founding prime minister and 

president of the Republic of 

Kenya. 

· Oginga Odinga (deceased) 

– Freedom fighter and 

independence icon. 

· Masinde Muliro (deceased) 

– Freedom fighter and 

independence icon. 

· Daniel arap Moi- Second president 

of the Republic of Kenya. 

· Mwai Kibaki- Third president of 

the republic of Kenya. 

· Raila Amolo Odinga- second prime 

minister of the republic of Kenya. 

· Kipchoge Keino- Most famous 

athlete and sports administrator. 

· Martin Shikuku (deceased)– 

Independence icon and renowned 

MP. 

· Professor Wangari Maathai 

(deceased)- First female 

professor of veterinary medicine, 

environmental campaigner, and 

winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. 

· Professor Ngugi wa Thiongo – 

Renown writer and professor of 

English and literature. 

· Professor Francis Imbuga 

(deceased) – Professor of 

literature and renowned writer. 

· Thomas Joseph Mboya 

(deceased)- Trade unionist, MP, 

Minister and brilliant architect of 

the Kenya’s early economic plan 

and strategies. 

Kenya’s Timeline. 

1. 1952- Mau Mau uprising- the 

bloody uprising against colonial 

rule. 

2. 1963- Country defeats the British 

and gains independence 

3. 1978 - First president of the 

country dies in his sleep. Daniel 

Arap Moi takes over. 

4. 1982- Attempted coup d’état to 

overthrow the government of the 

day. 

5. 1991- The law changed to allow 

the registration of more political 

parties. 

6. 1998 – A bloody terrorist attack 

in the middle of the capital leaves 

230 dead. 

7. 2002- President Moi retires 

and Mwai Kibaki takes over as 

president. 

8. 2007- Disputed elections results 

in very bloody skirmishes and 

the unfortunate death of 1,600 

Kenyans many killed with 

unimaginable brutality. 

9. 2013 – President Kibaki retires 

and Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta takes 

over as president. 


CMI CHILDREN 

Changer Makers Initiative 

CMI CHILDREN 

RESIDENCE 

We are an orphanage 

driven by a simple 

desire to make a 

difference in the 

lives of abandoned 

children. Our belief 

in God has driven us 

to witness Christ to 

these very vulnerable 

children. 

It’s a most challenging 

undertaking and there 

are times when we’ve 

felt like giving up. We 

have had times when 

we didn’t know where 

the next meal will 

come from. 

We have had times 

when we thought they 

are going to throw 

us in the streets over 

unpaid rent. We have 

had times when a 

child is sick and due 

to lack of funds often 

making a choice as 

to whether to buy 

medicine or food. 

The hard times when 

we’ve been through 

so much making it 

hard to gather a smile 

on our faces. Tears, 

sorrow and sadness 

have often been rather 

common. There are 

times I have thought 

of giving up but 

remembered we have 

vulnerable children to 

look after-where do 

they go to? 

OUR FUTURE. 

The children we 

look after have been 

abandoned by a 

community that saw 

them as a burdens and 

hopeless failures. We 

saw in them a future of 

possibilities with them 

as doctors, lawyers, 

engineers, chefs, 

pilots; artists etc. That 

is why l can’t give 

up on these angels 

because years from 

now, l will be walking 

in one of their clinics 

where l will receive a 

VIP treatment as an 

old man who gave 

all to look after the 

unwanted. 

For the stone that 

the builders rejected 

has now become a 

capstone 

ON FINANCES. 

Finances remain a 

challenge. We requests 

for your financial 

support and welcome 

donations such as 

clothing, food and 

volunteers to help. 

We would be most 

grateful if you would 

consider giving us a 

regular amount even 

20 pounds a month. 

It would make an 

enormous difference. 

We have monthly 

bills to pay such as 

rent, hospital costs, 

medicine and salaries. 

Please channel any 

help to the following: 

Account Number: 

Change Markers 

Initiative 

Bank Name: KCB Bank 

Account Number: 

1172556482 

Mpesa no: 0701751386 

Name: Geoffrey Kamau 

or 

Name: Lydia 

Olet/+447853207075 

Mpesa Number: 

0714063162. 

40 

Contact: +254701751386/0727493916 


Email: info@cmiresidence.org 

www.cmiresidence.org

GOOD HEARTED FRIENDS 

GOOD HEARTED FRIENDS is a 

community based charity which is 

registration number NDO/CBO/9372. 

It was started in November 2014 

with an aim of solving some of the 

social problems affecting those 

living in and around Ahero, Kisumu, 

Kenya. It also works belong borders 

hence serve the western Kenya 

region at large 

The charity relies on volunteers with 

the heart to assist the less fortunate 

in the society. The organization 

relies on well-wishers for its 

sustenance and finance remains a 

major issue. 

The organization has 

FOUR OBJECTIVES: 

Voluntary advocacy for anti-jigger 

drive in western Kenya region. 

Offering scholarship to bright and 

needy students as well as promoting 

the girl child education. 

Offering quick response to 

emergencies e.g. accidents and 

health issues. 

Offering training to widows and 

single families on how to engage in 

business and earn a living. 

MISSION: 

SERVING THE LESS FORTUNATE 

Challenges: 

Lack of adequate funding running 

the organization, adequate facilities 

in our rescue center, sanitary towels 

for the girl child, food, settle the 

hospital bills, resources to motivate 

the volunteers. 

We request you to consider 

supporting our charity to help us 

meet our objectives and help more 

people. 

CHARITY NAME: 

GOOD HEARTED FRIENDS 

PHONE NUMBER: 0714 714 715 

EMAIL: 

goodheartedfriends@gmail.com 

MPESA NUMBER: 

0723-396383 

SILAS ODHIAMBO 

LIPA NA MPESA NUMBER: 762014 

FRUITFUL TALENT CENTRE (F.T.C) 

was founded in 2007 following the 

post-election violence that claimed 

many lives in the country with 

Kibera being one of the most hit 

areas.The majority of the victims 

were orphaned children who needed 

a safe refuge. 

Today the Centre is home to over 

30 children aged between 8 months 

and 18 years and the number keeps 

growing. The Centre also supports 

eighty nine (89) children in daycare 

and primary school and further 

supports eighteen (18) more in high 

school. 

The center runs four (4) programs 

namely: 

1. Children’s’ home 

2. School and daycare 

3. Feeding program 

4. Dance and acrobatics 

The Centre aims to offer a long 

term solutions to the children by 

reuniting them with any existing 

family members with the support 

of local authorities. The center 

depends on donations and wellwishers 

support. It also raises funds 

through merchandising hand-made 

craft products. 

Volunteers help with teaching, 

playing, cleaning and mediation 

with families of the children. 

Other activities and programs that 

promote social and educational 

wellbeing received are yoga for 

children. 

Please contact us welcome for 

donation or any other help: 

TELEPHONE: +2547 2131 7484, 

+254714500815, +254726961719 

FACEBOOK: https://web.facebook. 

com/fruitfultalentcentre/ 

BANK: EQUITY BANK 

ACCOUNT NAME: 

FRUITFUL RESCUE CENTRE 

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1170165744206 


THE KENYA NATIONAL ANTHEM. 

KISWAHILI 

Ee Mungu nguvu yetu 

Ilete baraka kwetu 

Haki iwe ngao na mlinzi 

Natukae na undugu 

Amani na uhuru 

Raha tupate na ustawi 

Amkeni ndugu zetu 

Tufanye sote bidii 

Nasi tujitoe kwa nguvu 

Nchi yetu ya Kenya 

Tunayoipenda 

Tuwe tayari kuilinda 

Natujenge taifa letu 

Ee, ndio wajibu wetu 

Kenya istahili heshima 

Tuungane mikono 

Pamoja kazini 

Kila siku tuwe na shukrani 

ENGLISH 

O God of all creation 

Bless this our land and nation 

Justice be our shield and defender 

May we dwell in unity 

Peace and liberty 

Plenty be found within our borders 

Let one and all arise 

With hearts both strong and true 

Service be our earnest endeavour 

And our homeland of Kenya 

Heritage of splendour 

Firm may we stand to defend. 

Let all with one accord 

In common bond united 

Build this our nation together 

And the glory of Kenya 

The fruit of our labour 

Fill every heart with thanksgiving. 

42 


Senditoo is a UK based value remittance company allowing 

the diaspora community to send mobile credit online to 

their loved ones in their home countries. Senditoo instantly 

delivers top-up to over 400 mobile networks operators in 

140 countries worldwide. 

The fast growing start-up was founded by Guinean Ibrahima 

Soumano and Zimbabwean Takwana Tyaranini who found a 

gap in the market and took action to address it. They set out 

to build a web platform that will allow anyone to quickly 

and conveniently carry out an international mobile top-up 

transaction online whilst feeling totally safe - most African 

are not comfortable using their card to make purchases 

online but this is gradually changing with Senditoo. 

In less than 6 months, Senditoo has registered almost 

20,000 users with close to 1000 happy customers sending 

mobile top-up to a relative living in another country 

everyday and for that we are grateful to our African 

communities who have welcomed us with open arm and 

gradually making Senditoo a household name. 

Kenya is a great destination for Senditoo and to say 

thank you for uplifting an African venture in the highly 

competitive UK Tech industry, we are offering KARIBU 

magazine’s readers who have not tried the service yet and 

opportunity to do so free of charge. To claim the offer, 

simply download the Senditoo app from Playstore or the 

Appstore and use discount code KARIBU once you have 

signed up. 

www.senditoo.com 

Your Real Estate Partner 

Own a home at 

0% deposit for as low as 


70,000 ksh 43

Kenyan-born lawyer Lucy 

Gichuhi during her swearing-in 

as Australia’s first African 

member of federal parliament. 

Photograph: Mike Bowers for 

the Guardian 

LUCY GICHUHI 

Among the hundreds of hopefuls the First Kenyan born Senator in Australia is elected 

In the end, it was a vacuum cleaner that 

led Senator Lucy Gichuhi to one of the 

defining epiphanies of her life. 

Having arrived in Australia from Kenya 

with her husband William and young 

daughters Peris, Agnes and Joy on a 

warm summer day in 1999, Senator 

Gichuhi had already learnt much 

about life – the power of education, 

the importance of family and faith, the 

need to protect freedom of thought, to 

cherish the ability to choose your own 

destiny. 

But it wasn’t until she stood in her new 

family home in Kilburn, frightened 

and alarmed by the “tortoise lookalike 

gadget” attached to the wall, so foreignlooking 

she banned her children from 

approaching it, she truly learnt to open 

her eyes. 

A home inspection brought questions 

of why the carpet was so dirty. The 

family explained their frustration at 

being unable to keep the floor clean 

with their brushing. The tortoise in the 

room, which had sat, perplexing the 

couple who had grown up simply, with 

dirt floors and paraffin lamps, silent, was 

explained and the floor would never stay 

dirty again. 

“Every day,” Senator Gichuhi said, in 

her maiden speech to the chamber, “I 

wonder how many spiritual, emotional, 

mental, health, relational, financial, 

social and political ‘tortoise lookalikes’ 

are stuck to our walls in life, just because 

we do not recognise them for what they 

are.” 

Senator Gichuhi has been many things 

in her life – a loving daughter, sister 

and granddaughter, a wife, mother, 

accountant and lawyer – but most 

recently she was an enigma, the 

unknown second name on the Family 

First ticket, suddenly thrust into the 

Senate. 

Lucy Gichuhi her first press 

conference 

Justus Weru displays a 

photograph of his daughter 

Lucy Gichuhi 

44

Senator Lucy Gichuhi 

makes her first speech 

in the upper chamber 

of parliament house in 

Canberra this afternoon. 

Wednesday 21 June 2017. 

Photograph: Mike Bowers for 

the Guardian 

Until Wednesday, Senator Gichuhi 

was known for becoming Australia’s 

first black African-born senator, and 

turning Cory Bernardi down when 

his Australian Conservatives party 

absorbed her party, opting instead to 

serve as an independent. 

But in a wide-reaching speech 

witnessed by her family, members of 

her community and leaders from both 

the major parties who visited the floor 

of the Senate to listen, Senator Gichuhi 

set out her agenda and her passions, 

speaking of education, the need for 

good governance, financial literacy, 

welfare reform and the importance of 

proper and well-funded aged care. 

“I remember the first time we found 

welfare money in our bank account, 

shortly after our arrival in Australia,” 

she said. 

“We were terrified because we were 

not used to receiving money from 

strangers for nothing. All I knew is that 

the only time you get money is when 

you work for it. I said to my husband, 

‘We will have to return it.’” 

She saw it as a “choice” – “choose to 

be a victim and receive a handout 

for a long time”, or “choose the more 

challenging but empowering road, 

find a job and learn how to balance 

work and family life”. 

Welfare, she now believes, becomes its 

own trap, narrowing down choice, a 

belief she applies to corporations and 

industries, as well as individuals. 

“I have learnt that spending 

money you have not worked for 

fundamentally changes who you are, 

and inhibits your capacity and ability 

to become all you could be,” she said. 

But it was the lessons she learnt in 

her childhood home and on the floor 

of her grandmother’s two-bedroom 

hut, she said had shaped her into the 

woman she became, forging her work 

ethic, beliefs, faith and sense of worth. 

She now hopes to follow in the 

footsteps of Queen Adelaide – the 

German monarch who travelled to 

England and insisted on educating 

her new young subjects – by using her 

own background to bring new ways of 

thinking to debates. 

“Being the only black African- 

Australian senator is my point of 

difference,” she said. 

“I don’t know what your difference is. 

What we do with our differences, our 

unique gifts, is our choice. 

“Let us choose wisely.” 

www.smh.com.au/federal-politics 

Family First’s Lucy Gichuhi. 

Picture: Bianca De Marchi 

With family 

wedding photo 

45


FROM PAGE 03 CONTINUES PAGE >> 45 

H.E Lazarus Amayo with Other 2017 Tata 

Diplomat of the Year Award Winners 

the Diaspora for finding time to attend 

despite the short notice noting that this 

underscores the patriotism that is inherent 

in them and their firm desire to see Kenya 

prosper. The High Commissioner, however, 

regretted that the revised schedule of 

agenda items in the Somalia Conference 

could not allow the Head of State to meet 

all members of the Diaspora Community 

as he had hoped to. He further informed 

that the Kenyan Diaspora have been 

supportive and work very closely with the 

High Commission in implementing the 

Diaspora pillar of the Kenya Foreign Policy. 

He advocated for the formation of Diaspora 

umbrella body to facilitate structured 

engagement with the Kenyan Government. 

Ambassador Amayo reiterated that there 

is a large Diaspora community in the UK 

which is well represented not only in the 

private sector but also in the Government. 

He gave an example of members of 

the Kenyan Diaspora who have been 

recognized by Her Majesty’s Government 

for their impressive work as well those 

who have been elected to political posts 

including Councillors in the UK. He 

exuded confidence that Kenyans will have 

representation even in the two Houses in 

future. 

The Kenyan Diaspora representatives, Cllr 

Elizabeth Kangethe, Dr. Moses Langat, Mr. 

Juvenal Shiundu and Mr. Eddie Njenga 

who spoke during the evening meeting 

elucidated some of the great works they 

are undertaking in the UK to promote 

Kenya. They reiterated their support for 

the Kenyan Government and called for the 

implementation of policies that would help 

in improving the standards of living of all 

Kenyans. 

Mr. Juvenal Shiundu Speaking during the 

Meeting between His Excellency President 

Uhuru Kenyatta and the Kenya Diaspora 

Representatives. Looking on are Amb. 

Amina Mohamed, the Cabinet Secretary for 

Foreign Affairs, Hon. Charles Keter, Cabinet 

Secretary for Energy & Petroleum, Hon. Prof. 

Githu Muigai, the Attorney General, and 

Amb. Raychelle Omamo, Cabinet Secretary 

for Defence. 

2. Kenya and the London Stock Exchange 

Group Sign a MoU Aimed at Raising Capital 

for Kenya’s Energy Sector 

Hon. Charles Keter and Mr. Nikhil Rathi, at 

the London Stock Exchange 

Cabinet Secretary for Energy & Petroleum 

Hon. Charles Keter and Mr. Nikhil Rathi, 

CEO of London Stock Exchange Plc on 

Friday 26th May 2017 signed an MOU to 

collaborate in raising capital for Kenya’s 

energy sector. The agreement, which is 

the first to be signed between London 

Stock Exchange Plc and the Government 

of Kenya, outlines both organizations’ 

commitment to raising capital for Kenya’s 

energy industry, through public market 

equity and debt listings. The MoU also 

lays out both parties’ plans to assemble 

key stakeholders to establish an effective 

dual-listing framework for equity listings in 

London and Nairobi. Also present during 

the signing were Mr. Andrew Kamau, 

Principal Secretary, State Department 

of Petroleum, Ministry of Energy and 

Petroleum; H.E. Lazarus Amayo, the High 

Commissioner of Kenya to the UK, Dr. Darko 

Mr. Juvenal Shiundu Speaking 

Kenya Diaspora Representatives 

during their Meeting with His 

Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta 

46 

1ST EDITION | JULY 2016

Sam Ochieng and other guests 

Food and celebrations go together 

High Commisioner welcoming a 

guest 

Left: Pastor Karuri and wife, Councilor Kangethe, HC 

Amayo, Bishop BK Kariuki, Nelly Amayo and Col Muteti 

Agnes Gitau: 2nd left joined other 

guest for the celebrations. 

Left: Lydia, Gathoni, Njoki 

& Muthoni Kangethe 

HC and guests 

HC and guests 

Left: Freda and Mercy Kiminta 

were among the invited guests 

47

UK CHURCHES COMPETION 2017 

48 


KARANJA 

WA MUIRURI 

2. Born - 1986 in Mombasa, Kenya 

3. Early Education - Started school in Nairobi, at standard 6 i went to a boarding school in 

Gatanga constituency where i sat for my KCPE in the year 2000, i passed very well and 

was admitted to a National Secondary School in 2001 for my form 1 (Utumishi 

Boys Academy, Gilgil). 

4. Move to UK - I moved to the UK in early 2003 together with my father 

and siblings. My mother had gone to the UK 2 years earlier and so the rest 

of the family joined her in 2003. 

5. My mum after arriving in the UK settled in London where we joined 

her and i lied at the family home in London till i decided to return to the 

UK. 

6. School in the UK - Upon arriving in the UK i joined a catholic sixth 

form college for my A levels (year 12 & 13) located in the borough of 

bexley and completed my A levels. 

7. University - Upon completion of my A levels i joined the university 

of the west of England (UWE) for my 3 year LLB Law degree course. 

8. Masters - I later on after completing my degree joined Warwick 

University for my Masters LLM International Corporate Governance 

& Financial Regulation where i passed with a First Class Honors with 

Distinction. 

9. Move back to Kenya - I was always passionate about Kenya, was 

further inspired and encouraged by the passage of the new constitution 

and decided to move to Kenya take my talent back home and work for 

the mwananchi and the betterment of the Country. So in January 2011 i 

returned to Kenya. 

10. Kenya School of Law - I did my 1 year 

Higher Diploma Legal Studies at the Kenya 

School of Law Karen which is compulsory 

for any law graduate before getting 

admitted to the Bar. 

11. Pupillage - I did my pupillage at the 

prestigious law firm of Hamilton Harrison 

and Mathews in 2012 during which time i 

had the opportunity to learn and be trained 

on the real life application and practice of 

Law in Kenya. And i was finally admitted to 

the Bar on 19th November 2012. 

12. After my Admission to the Bar i had 

the opportunity to work for several other 

distinguished law firms specializing in the 

area of commercial law. 

13. After honing my skills in Kenyan practice 

i decided to start my Law firm in late 2015 

which i did together with my sister (also a 

distinguished lawyer who returned to Kenya 

also after her UK law degree & Masters). I 

have been the Managing Partner of my firm 

since then. 

14. I have no regrets about coming back to 

Kenya, and i encourage the Kenyans in the 

diaspora to always remember that East or 

West Home is the Best. 

Karanja & Wanjiru 

Advocates, 

1st Floor, Mageso Chambers, 

Moi Avenue, 

P.O Box 12510 - 00400. 

E. karanja@kwlaw.co.ke 

websie: www.kwlaw.co.ke. 


49

HEALTH ZONE 

DR EMILY 

CHESEREM 

DIASPORA 

HEALTH MATTERS 

Stella Watu is 50 years old. She left Kenya 25 years ago 

and came to the UK in search of a better life. After she came 

to the UK, she trained as an ICU nurse in the NHS. After 

some years, her husband and 3 children joined her. She was 

able to build her parents a house, buy rental properties at the 

Coast, and live the better life that she had dreamed of. 

Recently, when she first began to feel tired, she put it down 

to overworking: ‘I’ll just do 5 more years, then I can retire,’ 

she thought. Her children were always urging her to rest, 

but who else would carry the load? There were always 

hospital bills, family weddings, funerals, and many other 

small requests from home. Who could refuse? They did not 

have the opportunities that she had. Plus she needed a good 

retirement nest egg… 

One day, her husband noticed that her ankles were swollen 

(she had been hiding this for some months). He demanded 

that she go to the GP. 

‘Mrs Watu,’ said the GP ‘We haven’t seen you for your cervical 

smear for over 8 years!’ Yes, she had been ignoring the letters. 

Nobody in her family had cancer, and she would know if she 

had cancer, wouldn’t she? 

When she went to the nurse, her blood pressure was 

180/105! Stella had noticed it was high (you know those 

checks you do on the Wards), but she had tried to reduce the 

amount of salt in her diet. ‘We’re going to test your kidneys,’ 

Dr Wickes told her. ‘I rebuke any sickness!’ Stella told herself; 

she could not afford to fall sick. Too many projects… 

Her results were not good: she had kidney impairment 

- Stage 3, Dr Wickes said. An urgent hospital kidney 

appointment was arranged. 

At the hospital, the Consultant, a nurse, and a pharmacist all 

discussed her case very seriously. The Consultant gave her 

a shock when he said she might need dialysis in the future. 

That could never be! She was given medication: 3 tablets in 

the morning and 2 in the evening; and another appointment 

in 3 months. 

Stella went back to work the following week, but on the 

Wednesday when she came home, she found a group from 

the church, including Pastor Owen, had come to pray for her. 

Before Pastor Owen prayed, he said to her: ‘Listen to your 

doctors, Stella; they too are doing God’s work. If you have 

faith but no deeds, your faith is surely dead.’ 

From that day on, Stella took heed; she took her medication 

diligently, changed her diet, exercised, and all the while 

prayed for her healing. And yes, she went for all her smears 

and mammograms!! 

We don’t know how her story will end, and we wish her well, 

but here are the facts: 

• The diaspora work hard to send money home 

• As they do this, they may neglect their health 

• Premature death is not uncommon amongst diaspora, 

from a variety of causes. 

Why are we experiencing early demise amongst the 

diaspora? 

Recently, we held a health workshop for diaspora. Here are 

the data from that group: 

Out of 37 individuals, 31 (over 85%) had a Body Mass Index 

(BMI) that was classed as overweight. The figures were about 

the same in men as well as women. 69% had high blood 

pressure, and just over a quarter (26%) had high blood 

sugars. This was only a small group, but it is a snapshot of the 

things that lead to diseases such as stroke, diabetes, kidney 

failure and heart attacks; all of which are causes of premature 

death. 

What are the causes of these ailments? One major cause is 

lifestyle: 

• Diet – high in salt -> How much salt is on your nyama 

choma? 

• Lack of exercise – obesity -> How many sizes up have 

your trousers gone? 

• Lack of rest – long term sleep deprivation -> how many 

late nights do you have? 

How can you improve your health? Well, the truth is that 

nobody can change your diet for you; nobody can exercise 

for you except yourself, and nobody can reduce the number 

of hours you work, except you! It is not the government’s 

responsibility to live healthy, but it is yours! 

Spend a little time researching healthy diets, exercise and 

time management, and make the changes you need to, 

starting today. Imagine what your life will look like 5 years 

from now if you make a change today! 

Be like Stella! 

Yours in Health, 

Dr Emily Cheserem 

(Consultant working in Sexual Health and HIV) 

50 



HAWAII 

IS IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE 

A Kenya living in Hawawii. Mrs. 

Rose Njuguna has been living 

in Hawawii, USA for the last 4 

years. She was previous living in 

Luton, UK before moving there. 

She comes from Limuru, Kenya. 

It is shorter to fly to London than 

to fly to Hawawii which is one of 

the American states. Hawaii is the 

only US state made up entirely 

of islands. It is composed of 132 

islands - eight main islands (Hawaii, 

Maui, Oahu, Kauai, Molokai, Lanai, 

Niihau and Kahoolawe) and 124 

islets, reefs, and shoals. Hawaii 

is the southernmost state in the 

USA. Hawaii is the only US state 

with a tropical rain forest. Pearl 

Harbor near Honolulu is a United 

States Navy deep-water naval base. 

Hawaii is the only U.S. state that 

commercially grows coffee, cocoa, 

and vanilla beans. The Hawaii is 

one of four US states that have 

outlawed billboards. Hawaii has 

the highest life expectancy in the 

United States. Mauna Loa, the 

world’s biggest volcano, presents 

out-of-the-world experience on 

Earth. NASA trains astronauts for 

space voyages on its lava fields. 

Hawaii is the only state in United 

States where whites (Caucasians) 

are in minority. About 38% of 

Hawaii’s population are of Asian 

ancestry. Hawaiian language has 

only 12 letters (A, E, I, O, U, H, K, L, 

M, N, P and W) and a symbol called 

‘okina (‘). Hawaii has its own time 

zone (Hawaiian Standard Time) 

It’s also one of two U.S. states that 

doesn’t follow Daylight Saving 

Time. Hawaii is the most isolated 

population center on the face of 

the earth. Hawaii is 2,390 miles 

from California; 3,850 miles from 

Japan; 4,900 miles from China; and 

5,280 miles from the Philippines. 

By law, no building on Kauai is 

allowed to be built taller than a 

palm tree. Hawaii is the wettest 

spot on the earth (or so it is called) 

is Waialeale Mountain. Hawaii is 

famous for its world-class beaches 

and they come in many colors, 

including golden-yellow, red, 

white, green and black 

MRS. ROSE NJUGUNA 

THE LONGEST KENYAN RESIDENT IN THE UK 

Ruth NuEmergency was declared in Kenya in 

1952 while the Late Henry Mwaniki Mworia was 

in the UK to source for a printing machine to 

help him print his newspaper in Kenya entitled 

“Muiguithania). The colonial government advised 

printers in Kenya not to print the newspaper 

for him because it was anti government. For 

Attorney General in Kenya Sir Charles Njonjo was 

a student in London in 1952 where he advised the 

late Henry Mworia not to return to Kenya because 

his life was in danger. The late Mworia decided 

to remain and then invited his wife Ruth to join 

him. The wife Mrs. Ruth Nuna Mworia arrived 

in UK in 1954. He is the longest living member 

of the Kenyan diaspora in the UK. Her daughter 

Christine was born the UK in 1955, making her a 

co-record holder. Ruth has been in the UK for 63 

years, while Christine has spent all her 63 years 

in the UK. Mr. Ndichu Mwangi travelled to the UK 

in 1958 and has remained a resident ever since. 

Mrs. Ruth Nuna Mworia now lives in North London 

with her four children. 

Source: Kenya Book of Records. 

Jayda-Kay Wangari Gardner. Belongs to the biggest family in UK. 

( Follow her story in our next edition) 

52 


Established in 1968 , listed on the Nairobi Securities 

Exchange, one of the largest commercial banks in the 

country, 75 branch outlets across the country, over 132 

ATMs, over 1,500 agent outlets and electronic channels 

of Mobile and Internet Banking. 

National Bank of Kenya is a fully 

fledged Commercial Bank which 

offers Diaspora Banking services 

specially designed to fulfill the 

needs of Kenyans living abroad. 

The Bank recognizes their unique 

financial needs that include 

banking in multiple currencies 

and having the desire to invest 

and create a financial base 

back home through convenient 

and reputable channels. The 

Bank offers safe, flexible and 

convenient tailor made banking 

facilities back home designed 

around the unique needs, 

delivered effortlessly with service 

above the ordinary. 

The Bank was established in 

1968 to provide Kenyans access 

to finance and is listed on the 

Nairobi Securities Exchange. It 

has since grown to be one of the 

largest commercial banks in the 

country with a growing network 

of 75 branch outlets across the 

country, over 132 ATMs, over 

1,500 agent outlets and electronic 

channels of Mobile and Internet 

Banking. 

National Bank also participates 

in Corporate Banking, Business 

Banking, Retail Banking and 

Islamic Banking with an extensive 

portfolio of products and 

financial solutions tailored for the 

requirements of a broad spectrum 

of customer segments it serves. 

VISION 

To be the preferred 

Bank in the provision of 

comprehensive financial 

solutions in the region. 

MISSION 

At National Bank, we are 

dedicated to excellence 

in providing competitive 

financial solutions, meeting 

the changing needs of our 

customers, being a responsible 

Corporate Citizen, providing 

attractive opportunities to 

our employees and improving 

shareholders value. 

OUR VALUES 

1. Courage 

2. Honesty 

3. Innovation 

4. Collaboration 

IN CONJUNCTION WITH 

KENYA & FRIENDS 

IN THE PARK 2017 

FASHION SHOW 


MR 

CHRISTOPHER 

RUSK 

& MISS 

ELIZABETH 

SELLERS 

SAT 17TH 

SEP 2016 

‘It was a true union of two cultures at the wedding of Mr 

Christopher Rusk and Miss Elizabeth Sellers on Saturday 17th 

September 2016. The wedding ceremony took place at St. John 

the Baptist Church, Egglescliffe, and was followed by a reception 

at the prestigious Crathorne Hotel, Crathorne, Yarm. 

Egglescliffe is a beautiful village overlooking the River Tees, and 

is a well-kept secret in the North East. The sun shone on the 

ancient 11th Century church as the bride walked from her home 

with her bridesmaids, followed by the Malaika Unique dancers, 

drumming and singing her into the marriage service. It seemed 

like the whole village had turned out to witness this event, which 

involved a significant amount of Kenyan tradition. 

The service was conducted by the Rev. Sylvia Wilson who, to 

everyone’s surprise, gave the wedding blessing in Swahili. 

Christopher had been teaching Rev. Wilson to carry out the 

blessing in Swahili for a number of weeks before hand. 

Christopher was born in Thika, Kenya, and came to the United 

Kingdom as a small boy. He is a graduate of Teesside University, 

having studied Sport and nutrition. 

Elizabeth attended Teesside High Independent School, 

Eaglescliffe, where she excelled at sport. She attended Lincoln 

University where she gained a BSc in Adult Nursing, rising rapidly 

through the ranks to become a Sister. Recently, Elizabeth has 

completed her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) at 

Teesside University. 

Following their wedding Christopher and Elizabeth 

honeymooned in Mexico. 

Kenyan guests who attended the wedding stated that they 

were surprised at how beautiful the area was. One guests said, 

“Everything, from the church to the reception at Crathorne Hall 

was amazing. I have been to weddings in Kenya that did not 

include as much tradition as this day did”. 

The father of the bride, Shane Sellers, especially thanked Malaika 

Unique for their support in making the wedding special. The 

Malaika Unique dance group certainly added to the occasion and 

this event will be talked about amongst Egglescliffe villagers for 

many years to come”. 

54 


MR JOEL & 

MISS ELIZABETH 

WEDDING IN OXFORD 

Joel and Elizabeth sealing the day 

with a kiss in June 2017 

Doing it the men’s way 

Welcomimg the 

bride in style 

55 

A team from Slough welcome 

the couple 


Erick Ochieng 

Date of Birth: 5 May 1987 Born: Nairobi, Kenya 

Height: 5.8 Weight: Welterweight 

Coach: Rod Julian Manager: Steve Goodwin 

Erick ‘The Eagle’ Ochieng is flying high again. He 

is making a comeback with new drive new vigor, 

new manager, Steve Goodwin, New Trainer Rod 

Julian. Ochieng walked away from boxing in May 

2015 after a surprise loss to Tamuka Mucha in York 

Hall, London. That was not the penultimate hour 

of ‘The Eagle’s’ career; he has unfinished business 

to become World Champion! 

56 


On his come back fight after 14 

months lay off, his fight was a 

Title fight 10 rounds against 

Asinia Byfield. It was a close 

fight and Ochieng thought he 

should have got the win decision. 

However, his next fight was against 

John O,Donnell for the vacant 

Welterweight English Title. Ochieng 

was ‘saying this is a must win 

fight” and yes he did win the fight, 

however, that night he got a really 

bad decision the first Judge had 

scores 96-94 Ochieng, second Judge 

96-94, last Judge scored 96-94. 

Winning 16 of 22 fights including 4 

KOs as the professional English Light 

Middleweight Champion in 2013 

defended title 4 Times. He gave up 

the English title to fight against Liam 

Smith for the vacant British title . 

On 18th of march 2017 Ochieng 

fought against John O’Donnell 

for the welterweight English title. 

Ochieng won the fight but never got 

the decision win. That did not dent 

Ochieng confident, He will be back 

in the boxing ring at York Hall once 

again, vying his eyes on BBB of C 

Southern Area Welterweight Title on 

Sunday ,19th July 20. 

As an amateur, Erick ‘The Eagle’ 

Ochieng boxed his way across the 

UK, Europe and Ghana gaining a 

fearsome reputation as a strong 

and quick winning 55 fights and 23 

Knock-Outs. 

He turned professional in May 2009, 

Ochieng has not gone unnoticed 

training in East London with 

Ian ‘Dappa’ Napa at the famous 

Rooney’s Gym.Ochieng Born in 

Nairobi, Kenya, he grew up around 

a stable of boxers including his 

Uncle Nicodemus ‘Computer’ Odore 

was a professional welterweight 

and won a bronze medal in the 

1990 Commonwealth Games. In 

fact, most of his family are sporting 

legends in Kenya. His father, Charley 

Newa, was a goalkeeper professional 

handball player from 1984 – 92 and 

his mother, Barbara Elele, a blistering 

Wing handball player for her 

country from 1984 – 91. As a sports 

natural, by the age of 15 -16 years 

Erick Ochieng could not decide 

what sport to settle into to, he was 

given opportunities to become a 

professional football player and a 

400m runner. However, Ochieng 

could not resist boxing, “I love the 

training, running , sparing, strength 

training, speed work..” And it is that 

love of boxing ! 

His love for God motivates him to 

achieve to the highest standard; 

he is an amazing motivational 

speaker and is known for sending 

inspirational words across the 

social network. Already, in demand 

he has been interviewed on 

radio and TV. When you meet 

‘The Eagle’ he exudes confidence, 

and still has the glint in his eye. 

#TheEagleHasLanded 

If you would love to support or talk 

about sponsorship or Erick presenting 

his Motivation talk, Spoken Word 

please get in touch email @: Erick. 

ochieng@yahoo.co.uk 


57

Lydia Cutler 

Aberdeen Fashion Week 

Kenyan born fashion specialist and mother of 

3, Lydia Kemunto Cutler has definitely come far 

with her brand Aberdeen Fashion Week. 

After teaching for over 21 years and 

following her childhood dream of 

fashion design and winning several 

awards in and outwith UK, Lydia 

decided to start her own brand: 

Aberdeen Fashion Week. 

Aberdeen Fashion Week 

was started in the year 2013 

with only 12 designers, 

Lydia at that time was 

very happy to have 

had one international 

designer showcasing 

alongside 11 Scottish 

designers. 

Her first show 

though 

small 

was 

a 

success and since then Aberdeen Fashion 

Week has attracted many designers, this year 

2017 saw designers come from the following 

countries:- Kenya, Tanzania, Scotland, England, 

Netherlands, Russia, Philippines, USA, Nigeria, 

India & Cameron. 

Lydia has slowly emerged as a unique event 

promoter, loved and appr4eciated by many in 

the fashion industry. 

In her company Aberdeen Fashion Week Ltd, 

Lydia and her team train models and invite 

model scouts to come to shows and pick models, 

recently one of Lydia’s models Victor Hugo was 

awarded Face of Gillette and another being a top 

model in the New York fashion and modelling 

scenes. Several models have been picked for 

other internationals runways. 

Lydia encourages many more designers to come 

and showcase at the fashion week, this fashion 

week is getting more popular and with buyers 

coming from as far as Asia. 

Aberdeen Fashion Week started as a once a year 

showcase but from November 2017, fashion 

week will be held twice each year with Spring/ 

Summer & Winter/Autumn Collections. 

For more info about 

Aberdeen Fashion Week visit 

Lydia Cutler 

www.aberdeenfashionweek.org 

58 


57 UNION STREET 

GLASGOW, UK 

@CALABASH.RESTAURANT 

0141 221 2711 


IN THE PARK 

_________ 

If you’re 

interested in 

sponsoring, 

please contact 

_________ 

Lydia Olet: 

+44785 320 7075 

kenyainthepark@gmail.com 

Printing & Design Services 

Flyer/Poster Design 

Website Banners 

Brochure Design 

Logo Design 

Business Cards 

Roller Banners 

For Design 

CALL 

lensdesign07@gmail.com 07875174923 


59

MEET THE 

NEWEST KENYAN 

COUNCILLOR 

IN THE UK 

By Karibu Magazine Reporter 

Councillor Timothy Makobu Kinyanjui 

A Kenyan from Githunguri in Kiambu 

is the newest Kenyan Councillor to be 

elected in the UK. Timothy Makobu 

Kinyanjui was elected to represent 

Toothhill Ward of west Swindon Parish 

Council during the May 2017 UK Local 

Council elections. 

Swindon is situated in Wiltshire County 

in South West England. 

He joins a league of many other 

Kenyans previously elected to serve as 

councillors. This makes Kenyans one 

of the highest represented African 

communities in UK local Councils. 

Other Kenyans who have successfully 

vied for Local Council seats in the UK 

include: Elizabeth Kangethe (Barking & 

Dagenham), Bernard Kimani (South-east 

London) Daniel Munyambu (Basildon, 

Essex) Mayor Mary Kiruhi (Dartmouth) 

and Mrs Marianne Alapini (Chelsea and 

Kensington). 

Born and brought up in a very strict 

Christian family, Timothy went to AK 

Magugu Primary School in Gathanji 

before joining St. Joseph’s High School 

in Githuguri where he completed in 

1990. 

Timothy and his wife Loise Njeri. 

The father of three- two boys and one 

girl left Kenya for the UK soon after his 

High school to pursue further studies 

after he declined an offer to join Utalii 

College to pursue course in Frontline 

Office Operations. 

Timothy has lived in 

the UK for the last 

twenty years. He met 

his wife Loise Njeri at a local church in 

Swindon. They have been married for 

the last 18years. 

Timothy’s community work has been 

going on since he moved to Swindon 

where he met other Kenyan community. 

Together they formed Swahili 

Community in Swindon, which he led as 

a chair for four years. 

He has since been a leader in different 

settings in the Kenyan community in 

Swindon. 

Politically Timothy has been 

Labour supporter for as long 

as he can remember. However 

he only join the party as a paid 

up member two years ago. In 

March 2017 when the Parish 

Council Elections were called, 

he decided to contest as a 

councillor. 

He said: “I thought to myself 

I can contribute to the 

nation building, just away of 

giving back to this country 

that has given me so many 

opportunities.” 

To his amazement Timothy 

was nominated by the Labour 

Party as his candidate on the 

4th of May 2017 and after the 

elections in June he emerged 

the winner. 

Timothy said: “It’s been a journey, I 

am now settling in my new role. I am 

determined to make the voice of Toothill 

ward heard and to make this the best 

place to live. 

Karibu Magazine congratulates Timothy 

on his achievement and wishes him the 

ebst in his role as councillor. 

Timothy Makobu Kinyanjui and wife Loise Njeri 

60 


Winners displaying their awards 

Sack race was very popular 

SPORTS DAY NOTTINGHAM 

Sharon Karanja and 

Pastor Jane Njiiri 

Mrseed and son Jackson heading for 

a party in Nottingham 

Mr and Mrs 

Jackson Karanja 

Barbecue with Mark and team 

Nancy Congratulating her brother 

Karanja 

SPORTS DAY NOTTINGHAM 

Kassfm International was 

Kenya’s first radio station to 

broadcast live programmes 

outside Kenya. It started to 

broadcast live online from 

London in 2007. In 2008, it 

moved to Coventry where 

it is there till today. As a 

successful online media 

we basically broadcast 

educational content to 

our 4.5 million listeners 

online and on radios in 

Kenya. The programme 

runs every Saturday from 

8pm-9:30pm,Kenya time 

(6pm-7:30 in summer or 

5:00-6:30pm winter time) 

The structure: Kibny’aanko 

Seroney is the director, 

producer and editor in chief 

of the panel that serves as 

the resource persons. The 

senior members are those 

who have contributed in the 

discussions and have chaired 

more than 5 sessions. While 

the discussions are mostly 

done in Kalenjin, there is no 

objection for use of English 

or Swahili.There are no 

restrictions against other 

Kenyan communities using 

the platform. Currently the 

panel are divided into UK & 

EU, Australasia,The middle 

East and South Africa. 

The panel: UK&EU 

1. Kibny’aanko Seroney, 

Coventry 

2. Halima Tabusombu, 

Deputy, Luton 

3. William araap Sarboi, 

Cloucester 

4. Jackson Simatei, aka 

Chiitab Koreet, London 

5. William Simba, Bristol 

6. Emmanuel Ng’etich, 

Mainz, Germany 

7. Rhoda Koross, 

Duisburg, Germany 

8. Naomi Saga, 

Helsinki, Finland 

9. Mark Yego, 

Pieterborough 

Australasia 

Sammy Muten, Perth 

Nelson Kirwa , Perth 

Edna Rutto, Adelaide 

Gilbert Marisa, 

Chang sha, China 

Middle East 

Suleiman Sugoi, 

Saudi Arabia 

Moses Lagat, Dubai 

South Africa 

Patrick Tonui, 

Johannesburg, 

South Africa 

Discussion topics: Education 

and scholarships. Health 

and safety. Environment. 

Democracy. Leadership. 

Technology. Business. 

Culture and Language. 

Corruption and 

accountability. 

Mode of communication. 

Kass fm international 

uses high technology 

to communicate. Skype, 

conference and comrex 

technology all combine to 

deliver a high quality audio. 

We are also present on social 

media 

In the UK you can listen 

to the live stream on 

03303326327 


61

You can get Cecily’s books through 

www.cmnetwork.co.uk 

Email: info@cmnetwork .co.uk 

FaceBook—cecily mugo 

Tel: 07859063643 

CECILY MWANIKI 

Launches Yet 

Another Book 

‘’Tools To Get By In 

Life; Life If About 

Learning’’ 

Cecily Mwaniki is a Kenyan residing 

in Reading in the United Kingdom 

and has written several books 

all around: Career Progression, 

Healthy Family Relationships, Health 

& Wealth Growth, and Positive 

Parenting. Her latest book, ‘’Tools 

To Get By In Life’’ was launched on 

Sunday the 2nd of July in Reading 

with the support of great men 

and women nationally. Although 

some of her previous books were 

launched in the House of Parliament 

through her local Member of 

Parliament, Alok Sharma, Cecily 

decided to launch it in her local 

community which continually 

engages with. She is also the 

founder of ‘Utulivu’ Women’s Group 

which had the opportunity of 

winning the Queen’s Award in 2011 

for voluntary service. Her motto in 

life is 

‘’Aspiring To Inspire 

Before I expire’’ 

MEET MASTER 

CHRISTIAN KAMANU 

KAGIKA 

A 5 Year old British boy who 

speaks Kiswahili fluently 

‘ 

THANKS TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEER TEAM 

we appreciate you spending your precious time 

serving with us at various times and locations 

‘ 

Meet Master Christian Kamanu 

Kagika, 5 years British born who 

speaks Kiswahili fluently. Christian 

father Mr. Solomon Kamanu 

and mother Mrs. Kagika speaks 

Kiswahili in their house and the 

children have caught up very well. 

The other day I visited the family and the boy told me: “Sasa 

Babu, utaenda je nyumbani?” I asked him “Kwanini?” the boy 

replied: “Huko chini kuna Simba, na Simba atakula wewe. Sasa 

vile tutafanya, tutalala na wewe.” He is a grandson of Duncan 

Kamanu Kagika of PCEA UK Outreach, London. The family lives 

in Thurrock, UK. 

62 

www.diasporamarketing-solutions.com 


HE High Commisioner Amayo and his wife Nelly Amayo 

Nelly Amayo and Former Education 

attache Mrs Margaret Lesuuda 

Acting Deputy High Commisioner Grace 

Cerere and High Commisioner secretary 

The event commenced with national anthem 

sang by Byron Consort of Harrow School 

Ruth Kirima far right was among the 

2ND EDITION guests | JULY 2017 63

JOE CATERRING 

Joseph Gatonye is a professional chef with 

years of commercial experience. He studied in 

the UK and has worked in some top five star 

hotels & restaurant in London such as Hilton 

and Grosvenor hotel. He also has business skills 

acquired through operating his restaurant in 

London and as well as outside catering . Joseph 

together with Teresia formed a charity called 

East African Community Welfare Association 

that creates awareness and promotes healthy 

eating among East African community in the UK, 

they used to run cooking classes at Barking and 

Dagenham Aldult college. Joseph is currently 

running an outside catering company called JOE 

CATERING. He has also featured on the following 

media. 

1. Kenyan Standard newspaper 

2. BBC radio cookery programme 

3. Promoting African products grown in the UK 

(Mwanaka farm) via BBC TV 

4. Cooking competition on BEN TV in Jamie 

Oliver’s kitchen and emerged as number 2 

TARBOUSH 

Swahili Dishes 

Tarboush is an Arabic word 

meaning ‘Red Hat’ that is worn 

in the Middle East. Swahili 

cuisine reflects various cultures 

including Arab Indian and 

European that have influenced 

the East African Coast over 

the years. But even with all 

that fusion, there are local 

ingredients that stand out 

in the Dishes, most notably 

coconut milk that is key to 

most of the dishes. 

Situated in the East London, 

Tarboush prides itself as one of 

the few dining spots here that 

serve authentic East African 

Swahili cuisine. 

The aroma from our kitchen 

transports our diners to the 

heart of Mombasa as we serve 

a variety of all time Swahili 

favourites. 

Our menu includes, 

Mahamri, chapatti, 

biryani, vitumbua, 

samaki, ugali, 

nyama choma. 

For a true taste of Swahili food 

in London pay as a visit. 

We also offer event catering 

64 

CONTACT: TEL: 020 8470 9178, 28 UPTON LANE, LONDON E7 9LW 


2016-2017 

PGEA(Entertainment Awards) and BEFTA AWARDS 

KENYA & FRIENDS IN THE PARK 

BEST EVENT AWARDS 

DIASPORA 

AWARD 

DIASPORA CEO Thomas Musau (Centre) receives Business 

Award for Community & Social Responsibility 2016 


65

UK FAMILY OF ACHIEVERS 

Mr. and Mrs. Ochieng family 

Mr Sam & Mrs Perez Ochieng from London have been 

married for over 20 years. They have five children and 1 grandchild. 

The family of Sam and Perez Ochieng was voted by the Karibu 

Magazine as a model UK family. The family has been chosen for the 

feature article as it was agreed it is a family that has achieved and 

worth of being a role model to other families in the UK. As we are 

well aware, African families in the UK have been hit by many issues 

and separation, leading to many children being brought up by 

single parents. This has an impact on the children’s behaviour and 

wellbeing in their later years and lives. 

Karibu managing editor visited them for a chat and to learn the 

secrets of their remarkable success. 

The couple is blessed with 5 children 3 girls and 2 boys (aged 

between 22 and 14) and one grandchild. Their first born Annette 

Ochieng is a banker; second born Comfort Ochieng is a student at 

the University of Bedford studying Education and Child Psychology. 

The third born Henry Ochieng is a professional footballer. He 

achieved 11A*s in his GCSE. The fourth born Margaret Ochieng is 

doing her A-levels and the last born Eric Ochieng is in year 10 and 

also a professional boxer. They also have one grandchild. They all 

live together as a family. This is their story… 

66 

Erick boxer. 

Mr Sam & Mrs Perez Ochieng 


Henry Ochieng footballer.

The father, Mr. Sam Ochieng is a renowned 

Entrepreneur and Community Leader in 

the UK. He has supported more than 4,000 

Kenyan families to settle permanently in 

the UK. The mother Mrs. Perez Ochieng 

(Mama SACOMA) is also an International 

Motivational Speaker. 

Mr. and Mrs. Ochieng are Innovators, who 

have developed new business models. They 

have made a revolution in the food science, 

innovation and technology by developing 

Sweet Potato premium products in the UK 

including sweet potato crème Brulee, juice, 

snack bar, crisps, chocolate, sweet potato 

bread and sweet potato baby foods among 

other sweet potato products. 

Together the couple have run their 

business since 2003 with offices in Ilford, 

an accredited training Centre for Enterprise 

Excellence. Their business SACOMA has 

trained and supported the start-up and 

growth of over 20,000 businesses and Small 

to Medium Enterprises (SMEs). A further 

6,000 high growth business have been 

developed to scale up through business 

Growth and Acceleration programmers for 

business in the UK, EU and Africa. 

The Ochieng’s at Home. 

On a sunny Saturday mid-morning, 

we set off with our camera-man to the 

quiet London sub-burb of Barkingside in 

Redbridge. We are going to meet a Kenyan 

couple who have lived in the UK for the last 

25 years. 

We arrive at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Ochieng 

a few minutes after 12.30pm. We are 

ushered in by Sam Ochieng himself who led 

us to the lounge where he was entertaining 

visitors from Kenya when we arrived. 

Enjoying our drinks as we chat, there is a 

great sense of peace and harmony in the 

house. The five bedroom Victorian style 

house is very clean, neat and well laid out. 

Everyone in the family looks happy and 

contented on a nice summer weather. The 

atmosphere which everyone wants to have 

in an ideal family setting. 

Only two children and the grandchild are 

in the house - Maggie and Erick. Erick is 

training to become a professional boxer. He 

wants to follow the footsteps of his brother 

Henry Ochieng who is a professional 

footballer. Henry is only 18 years and as a 

professional footballer player is arguably 

living his dream of a sports man, The 2012 

London Olympic Torch bearer, Henry is 

currently on holiday abroad. 

The family achievements can be seen 

through the cupboard packed with trophies 

and other medals of honour for both 

personal achievements of the children, the 

parents and their businesses. 

After exchanging pleasantries with Sam, 

his guests and members of his family in the 

house, it’s time to take Sam aside for the 

magazine interview. Without beating about 

the bush, I ask Sam to share the secret of 

leading a successful African family in the 

UK to which he quips: “It’s all about family 

members’ discipline and by the grace of 

God” 

He goes on to tell me that as an African 

man, providing a good example to the 

children and being the children’s source of 

inspiration is very vital for their well-being. 

“As parents, we need not be just teachers, 

but trainers, mentors and inspiration leaders 

worthy of our children to emulate. When a 

child sees their own parents succeed, the 

influence is instant, they need not do much 

as they can already see what hard work is 

like’’. He said. 

Sam also emphasizes the need for respect 

for one self, respect for the mother 

and respect for the children as well as 

supporting and encouraging one another to 

aspire to be responsible citizens and aspire 

for personal achievement. 

Regarding bringing up the children in the 

UK, the father of five said that sometimes it 

can be a challenge especially when a parent 

is from a traditional African setting. He said 

parents from African traditional families 

ought to understand that children brought 

up in the UK do not work or respond to 

threats and smacking as we were used 

to when we grew up in Africa. Instead 

you teach and train them the right values 

through cultivating a good relationship 

with them and also teach them to be God 

fearing by attaching themselves to a good 

church. (The bible says teach them the way 

they should go and when they grow up they 

shall not depart from it) 

Being a good parent requires patience and 

a great deal of understanding. The children 

of this country meet all kind of people out 

there and as such it’s very easy for them to 

pick up the wrong character and attributes. 

He said the only way to notice a changing 

character and correcting the child before 

it gets out of hand is through constant 

interaction with the child and investment in 

a good quality education. 

As parents and however busy you maybe, 

there is no excuse for not finding time to eat 

together, play together and discuss issues of 

the family together as a way for sustaining 

that family bond. 

“Before we go to bed we always pray as a 

family. Both Perez and I come from very 

strong Christian families. We have carried 

this practice with us and our children are 

also devoted Christians” He said. 

Mr.Ochieng however cautioned that even 

in the best family setting, challenges with 

children growing up are bound to happen. 

At these challenging times, it is how you 

handle the situation that matters. A bad 

move can make matters worse. He said the 

best way to handle such as situation is to 

remain calm and firm from the word go. The 

worst case scenario is to give up on your 

own child. He said. 

After the short interview, the food was ready 

and we were served a variety of African 

dishes to choose from. They included 

beef, rice, sweet potatoes, millet (brown), 

ugali with greens and fish and maziwa lala 

(Kenyan yoghurt). 

We were also served with the freshest 

oranges, which Mrs. Ochieng recently 

brought from their family orchard in Homa 

bay. Mrs. Ochieng, said diet is a factor in 

the physical, mental and psychological 

well-being of children. “You are what you 

eat; your food is your medicine.” She said. 

Adding that: “No matter how busy I am, I 

always find time to cook for my family” 

Perez said making sure all their children 

participate in house chores helps them 

become responsible and makes them 

independent when they go to university 

or move on in life. Everyone in the house 

participates in house chores including 

cooking and cleaning. 

The children are all encouraged and 

supported to aim high and to be the best 

they can be in their chosen fields. High 

academic achievement is encouraged 

and supported, but so is their personal 

aspirations and choice of career paths. 

Mentoring and guidance is regular part of 

the whole family affair as all the children 

are encouraged to dream and aim to high 

achievers in life and also to be responsible 

citizens. During summer and holidays, 

the children are encouraged to volunteer 

or take work placement at their parents 

businesses to gain valuable work skills 

and exposure with a greater emphasis on 

leadership skills. 

Every year the family travels home to Kenya 

to stay at their rural village in Homa Bay. A 

constant reminder that they are as much 

Kenyan as they are British. 


67

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RUGBY 7’S IN PARIS 2017 

Rugby Sevens in Paris May 2017. Second year running. A meeting place for All kenyans in Europe 

69

ALASKA 

MEET KENYAN FAMILY WHO LIVE 

IN THE NEAREST CITY TO GOD 

Alaska is a walking distance to the 

North Pole. During the summer 

months, Alaska is known as the land 

of midnight sun due to a natural 

phenomenon that causes 24-hour 

daylight. Kenyans Peter Kariuki and 

Pauline Kariuki have lived in this 

city for the last 16 years. Misterseed 

interviewed them over Skype. 

Misterseed: How many Kenyan do you 

know who live in Alaska? 

We have about 5 Kenyan families in Alaska 

making a total of about 20 Kenyans. We 

have about 100 Kenyan students who have 

come to study in Alaska 

Misterseed: How do you feel living in one 

of the most isolated parts of the world? 

Surprisingly, the most interesting part of 

our lives is the 16 years we have lived in 

the 49th State of United States of America. 

Alaska is the last frontier and is also the last 

contact on planet earth to the North Pole. 

However, there is a town that used to be 

called Barrow and until recently changed its 

name to a Yupik name - Utiaqivic. When you 

are in this town there is nowhere else you 

can go to other than end of planet Earth. 

This is why we who live in this part of the 

world refer ourselves as the people nearest 

to God. 

Misterseed: How hot does it get in 

Alaska? 

The Interior Region of Alaska enjoys warm 

summers. The locality of Fort Yukon holds 

the state’s highest temperature record of 

100 Farenheight (38 degrees centigrade) 

- taken in in June, 1915! Fairbanks often 

has summer temperatures in the 80s and 

occasionally gets up into the 90s degrees 

Fahrenheit- (about 27-32 degrees Celsius). 

Misterseed: What is the average 

temperature in Alaska in the summer? 

Alaska’s summer temperature is surprisingly 

pleasant. Daytime highs range from 60°F 

- 80°F. Night-time lows are refreshingly 

cool, dipping into the 40’s - 50’s. May and 

September are 5°- 10° cooler. However, 

temperatures vary wildly depending on 

which region of Alaska you are in. 

Misteseed: How many seasons are there 

in Alaska? 

Many weather-related myths surround 

Alaska’s temperatures and climate. One 

of the most common is that Alaska 

temperatures in summer are cool. In fact, 

like much of the United States, Alaska has 

four seasons and weather records at both 

ends of the thermometer. 

Misterseed: How cold does it get in 

Alaska in the winter? 

Temperatures in winters depend on where 

in Alaska you are. They are usually between 

15 degrees to 30 degrees F below freezing. 

(About -26 to -34 degrees centigrade). 

Misteseed: What is the History of Alaska? 

Alaska was discovered 1741 and had before 

then remained largely unexplored. The 

tremendous land mass of Alaska equals to 

one-fifth of the continental U.S. In 1867 the 

Secretary of State William Seward arranged 

for its purchase from the Russia with the 

transfer of territory taking place on October 

18th 1867. In 1968, a large oil and gas 

reservoir near Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic 

Coast was discovered. The Prudhoe Bay 

reservoir has an estimated recoverable 10 

billion barrels of oil and 27 trillion cubic feet 

of gas making it one of the largest in North 

America. The Trans-Alaska pipeline was 

completed in 1977. Oil flows through the 

800-mile-long pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to 

the port of Valdez. 

Misterseed: Apart from being famous for 

Oil production what else is Alaska known 

for? 

Alaska is known for its rugged natural 

beauty. The state is the largest in the 

USA and is a vast landscape of pristine 

70 


>>>CONTINUES PAGE 71


72 



WHISPERS 

Man ManKambugua 

alias Lawrence James Carlos 

DIASPORA DEVIL, GET LOST! 

I was in a restaurant in East London 

recently. The waiter told me the meal 

would take ten minutes to get ready and 

so I ordered a drink as I awaited my food. 

No sooner had I taken the first sip than I 

was joined by a young black man in his 

mid-twenties. He was wearing a dirty 

red T-shirt which had a photo of K.I.C.C. 

Nairobi. I guessed that he was Kenyan. His 

hair looked unkempt and his nails were 

black with dirt. Besides, he had a big scar 

on his forehead indicating he must have 

fallen down or was involved in a fight. In a 

nutshell, he was an opposite of what you 

would expect from a quintessential young 

man in the diaspora. 

He sat on one of the chairs directly 

opposite mine so we had good eye 

contact. I expected him to say hello to me 

but all he did upon sitting down was stare 

at me. I tried looking sideways hoping that 

his attention would be directed elsewhere 

but I was wrong. His eyes were fixated on 

me. 

On asking him whether I could help, he 

looked at me, raised his head and showed 

me his middle finger. I asked him once 

more what he wanted because I was 

becoming uncomfortable with his staring. 

He flashed removed his tongue closed his 

eyes and showed me two of his middle 

fingers. I ignored his obscene gestures. 

When I was finally served my food, the 

young man dipped his fingers and took a 

generous portion of my chips. “The food is 

mine mate” I protested. I don’t give a s***! 

he replied. 

“Who the hell are you?” I asked. ‘I am Dave, 

you know me!’ he said as he put more chips 

in his rather dirty mouth. ‘Dave...Dave... 

from where?’ I asked. 

‘How can you not know me and you are my 

mother’s boyfriend?’ he asked. 

‘Your mother’s boyfriend?!’ I asked in 

astonishment. ‘Yes! Oh! Yes! You think I 

don’t know you? Are you not Mr. Andrew 

Golota the one who fought Mike Tyson?’ 

he asked. 

‘No I am not. I suggest you ask your mum 

to give you the right information,’ 

At this point I suspected the young man 

was mentally ill. I let him eat my meal 

and wished him best of luck. As I stood to 

leave, one person pushed me aside and 

whispered to me that the young man was 

a Kenyan who came here as a student. With 

time he dropped out of University after he 

started into drugs. He was now homeless 

and had neither friends nor relatives in U.K. 

As I drove home, the memories of the 

young man kept recurring in my mind. I 

imagined the dreams his parents had when 

they sent him to England hoping he would 

succeed in life. Perhaps a fundraising was 

done; a piece of land possibly sold to 

educate the young man but somewhere 

along the line, ruin struck him. 

The more I thought of the young man, 

the more the more I thought about our 

community. We all come abroad with very 

high hopes of making it and making it big 

but the demons of progress lay traps on 

our path and prevent us from progressing. 

To this, I have a message for the diaspora 

devil - Go back to hell where you belong 

and when you reach there, give your 

siblings a high five! We came to diaspora to 

flourish not to live a dog’s life! 

Unless we are wise, the diaspora devil 

will never leave us. Life in diaspora is 

programmed in such a way that we 

have little time for our children. We 

have left at the mercy of the TV and the 

internet instead of talking to them and 

understanding them. Gone are the days 

when we patiently trained our children 

how to behave as responsible citizens. 

We grew up in societies where we were 

reprimanded including caning by both 

our parents and neighbours. Being sent 

74 


to bed hungry and with a sore bum could often be part of the 

punishment. 

We knew the boundaries and consequences and that made us 

the responsible adults we went on to become. 

I remember a villager called Mr. Johanna who used to punish 

his children by cutting their thighs with a razor blade when 

they misbehaved. He reasoned that one could not go to 

slaughterhouse (world of sin) and fail to come out with blood. 

Any time we misbehaved, we were told that we would be 

delivered to Johanna for a discipline session! As children, we 

prayed that lightening would strike him dead. To the contrary, 

he continued to flourish and was filthy rich. Turn to your 

neighbour and tell him that the devil is a liar. 

Welcome to diaspora where the relationship devil dwells and 

works overtime. You don’t need any effort for your relationship 

to hit the rocks. If you had a relationship in your home country, 

chances are that the relationship died a natural death the 

moment you left your country’s airspace. Unfortunately, long 

distant relationships rarely work. If you left a boyfriend at home 

and the chances of going back are slim, be wise enough and do 

the necessary. The biological clock is ticking fast. Menopause is 

around the corner and once it comes, you will never have a kid 

in your lifetime. Wake up and smell the coffee. 

When you leave your husband alone and go to bar, the 

diaspora devil enters your relationship. While you are in the 

bar, your husband is online with another girl who is twenty 

years younger, sexier and has never seen the inside of a 

maternity ward. She can warm your husband’s bed faster than 

you. The devil convinces you that in the bar, there are more 

sophisticated men who have the so called ‘thrill’ unlike your 

husband whose main hobby is sleeping after taking a few 

beers. Stop giving the devil a chance and your husband will 

shower you with love. When you are in the bar dancing the 

demonic Jamaican ‘bend over’ dance styles, your hubby is busy 

too. Be afraid. 


IN THE PARK 

THE NEXT 


IN THE PARK 

BARKING PARK 

LONGBRIDGE ROAD 

BARKING, LONDON 

IG11 8UD 

The diaspora devil will make sure that he destroys all your 

projected financial goals. You don’t need to be a spendthrift 

to stay in diaspora for ages and go home with nothing. First, 

the devil will see to it that you and your spouse do not have 

common savings for your future. It is not a wonder to see a 

wife having her own project at home and the husband his 

elsewhere. Many wives have no idea what the husband’s 

income is. The husband may also have never seen his wife’s 

bank statement. By the time you both realise you wasted each 

other’s opportunities, it will be very late. 

The power is within you to kick the devil out of your life. The 

beginning of showing the devil the door is to have a good 

relationship with your family and general humanity if possible. 

Put God first in everything you do. Stop being mediocre, 

become an Eagle and fly with Eagles. Have a thorough audit of 

your life and seal all the openings where the devil enters. This 

way, you will have the audacity of telling the diaspora devil, ‘get 

lost!’ 


Kamau wa Ikui 

The political season is with us again. 

Next month, our country shall decide 

it’s 5th president. Social media has 

allowed us to share and express our 

political views more eloquently, 

openly and widely than ever before. 

Juxtapose that with the last two 

elections (2007 and 2013) where 

you were either on Newspaper, TV 

or Radio, or you were not heard. 

Old media has lost its relevance and 

currency very quickly! 

Social media has however been a 

double edged blade - different- and 

for the better and worse still. Sharing 

content (words, images and voice; 

including in real time) has resulted 

in our memories being constrained 

as our appetite for the next piece of 

news, including fake news reaches 

an insatiable crescendo. Never 

before has so much inaccurate news 

been shared as the gospel facts, 

and formed the basis for political 

thought. We have readily and often 

foolishly formed and reinforced 

political opinions and identities 

based on what we have received 

online without bothering to validate 

its authenticity. 

I am as guilty as others for what I 

have shared and written on social 

media. Depressingly, despite our 

being away from home, and the 

benefit of enormous exposure to 

new ideas and ways of doing things, 

most of the Diasporas thinking and 

reasoning remains largely provincial 

and somewhat pedestrian. Some 

diaspora still wrongly opine that 

Raila Odinga is responsible for 

the lamentable poverty in Kibera. 

For others, Kenya is a sinking ship 

because Uhuru is president. Raila 

we’ve also regrettably been reminded 

via text and video is a war monger, 

just as we’ve been told President 

Uhuru never graduated from Amherst 

College; besides being a drunkard 

and a drug addict unfit to leadall 

shared on social Media- and 

enjoyed behind the comfort of our 

phone screens. These scandalous 

inaccuracies have been refuted by 

facts – becoming the inconvenient 

truth we’d rather wish away –yet 

many of us believe the inaccuracy we 

heard first. 

Tragically, this has left our thought 

processes the poorer. From the 

WhatsApp groups I am active in, 

it’s been the debates have been 

ferocious in defence of either of the 

two competing political camps has 

been. On the one hand are those 

who see Jubilee as Kenya’s salvation 

and those who believe Prophet 

Joshua Amolo Odinga is the sure 

and only way to Canaan. Whichever 

way ones looks at, we have made 

progress of some kind. Kenyans 

are more aware of who and what 

they don’t want (though so much is 

dispensed in talk and little by way 

of actions). Social media has given 

us false hope - gifting us a platform 

to talk endlessly-with little action or 

progress. Our politicians understand 

this only too well and that’s why - 

even with a Raila win, pretty little 

shall change for the diaspora or for 

country. Both Raila’s and Uhuru’s 

campaign have been financed by 

economic mercenaries who shall 

demand pecuniary reprieve-payable 

mostly using taxpayer’s money and 

tenders and contracts; or economic 

favours or immunity from regulation 

of some kind. The diaspora are 

disparate and divided and can be 

conveniently ignored. They have 

been in the past and shall once again 

be in the future. The next elections 

shall find us here; without a vote 

-despite the important role our blood 

and sweat plays in Kenya’s economy 

and national fabric- largely paying 

for things our government should 

ordinarily take responsibility for. 

Such is the nastiness of politics-and 

politicians. What can we do? Is social 

media to be our ally or an enemy in 

this struggle? I don’t quite know. 

Finally, that matters about our 

country concern us, as to make us 

talk so passionately on social media 

indicates a deep and laudable loyalty 

to our motherland- despite its 

dystopian inadequacies. Regrettably, 

our social media arguments and 

counter arguments- including insults 

and innuendo are akin to a game of 

herding cats. Little comes out of it. 

Without a vote, our vitriolic talks and 

exchanges amount to zilch. We shall 

sadly watch helplessly and passively 

as the president and others to lead 

our country in the next 5 years are 

chosen by our fellow citizens back 

home-without us. We can only hope 

that such is accomplished without a 

drop of Kenyan blood. No political 

post is worth it. Being a Kenyan 

abroad often can feel like a curse. 

Social media just made it a lot worse! 

The writer is a patriotic Kenyan. 

kamaualexk@gmail.com 

76 


The role of ethnicity in Kenyan politics. 

By Thomas Musau 

Kenya goes to the polls on August 8. As 

in previous elections, the role played 

by ethnicity and tribalism are likely 

to decide the election. Experts say 

politicians beat the drums while their 

tribesmen and women dance to the 

tune. 

Kenyan politics have been characterized 

by ethnic tensions since independence 

in 1963. But it was not until 2008 that 

the demons of tribalism finally flared up 

after the hotly disputed elections which 

left over a thousand people dead and 

thousands displaced. 

The clashes mainly between the larger 

ethnic tribes, the Kikuyus, Luos and 

Kalenjins, erupted after Mwai Kibaki 

from the Kikuyu community was 

declared the winner amidst accusations 

of rigging and electoral manipulation. 

Ethnicity parse has never been the 

problem. The problem arises when 

politicians use ethnicity for their 

personal gain, and create a divide 

which fuels an appeal and loyalty to the 

tribe- often over country. Historically 

in the traditional societies, the issue 

of belonging to a tribe was not a big 

issue until and during the fight for 

independence. 

Tribalism in Kenya dates back to the 

colonial era. From 1920 to 1963, Kenya 

was under the rule of the British who 

used the divide and rule tactic to 

govern. For years they played one side 

off against another, in particular the 

Kikuyus and Luos whom they considered 

a threat owing to their numerical 

superiorities. 

The first two political parties before 

and during independence Kenya - the 

Kenya Africa National Union (KANU) and 

the Kenyan African Democratic Union 

(KADU) set off the current tribal politics 

in the country. KANU was a Kikuyu and 

Luo alliance party; while KADU was 

comprised of other small tribes who 

feared the domination by KANU. KADU 

was founded by Daniel Arap Moi, a 

Kalenjin from Rift valley and others. 

President Jomo Kenyatta (father of the 

incumbent president Uhuru Kenyatta) 

was accused of sidelining the Luos, in 

particular Jaramongi Odinga (father of 

current opposition leader Raila Odinga) 

in favour of Moi, who succeeded him in 

1978 as the second president of Kenya. 

During his time in office until 2002, 

Moi was accused of entrenching and 

perpetuating tribalism and the politics A second commission, the National 

of divide and rule. His presidency was Cohesion and Integration Commission, 

also marked by deadly tribal animosities. is still working on ending the enduring 

The major outbreak was in 1992 with divisions between Kenyans. In its view, 

the Molo clashes in the vast Rift valley the solution is to address economic 

region which left 5,000 people dead and equality and opportunities for all, 

another 75,000 displaced. The conflict regardless of tribal affiliations. 

was primarily between the Kalenjin 

It’s well documented that the 

and the Kikuyu communities with land appointments in government, 

ownership cited as one of the key 

parastatals and other government 

reasons behind the tragic conflict. 

bodies reflect a deliberate effort to 

Though regional conflict among tribes favour certain ethnic lines-depending 

was still in existence, it was not until on who is in power. Since independence, 

the advent of multi-party politics in 

leaders often fill the civil service and 

1992 that it really became evident- and state-owned institutions with members 

ultimately flared up into violence and of their ethnic group, and those from 

death. 

ethnic communities viewed as being 

Major parties were already divided 

supportive of the ruling regime. 

along tribal lines. For example, the 

The cabinets of presidents Jomo 

Forum for the Restoration of Democracy Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, and Mwai Kibaki 

(FORD-Kenya) was associated with the all had a disproportionate number of 

Luhya tribe, the Democratic Party with members from their respective tribes. 

the Kikuyu, the Labour Democratic Party Tribalism is to blame for many of the ills 

with the Luo, while the Kalenjin tribe in our country today such as corruption, 

largely supported KANU. Today, voting ethnic clashes and underdevelopment. 

in Kenya whether parliamentary, civic To end this people must be given jobs 

or presidential, is done almost entirely based purely on merit- their skills 

along tribal lines. 

and training, not tribal lineage. Many 

In the political sphere, leaders appeal political observers are now warning 

to people of their own tribes when 

that Kenya is on the wrong track in 

they want support. They also use their the run-up to the 2017 elections. 

tribes as leverage when they bargain for Political alliances based on tribes 

positions and favours from government. have dominated Kenya’s politics since 

The ‘big five’ tribes have influenced who independence. As in the past, political 

is elected, owing to their numerical 

alliances have been made along ethnic 

advantage. According to Kenya’s 

lines. The Jubilee alliance of President 

National Bureau of Statistics, the largest Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William 

ethnic groups are the Kikuyu, the Luhya, Ruto is overwhelmingly backed by the 

the Kalenjin, the Luo and the Kamba. At Kikuyus and the Kalenjins. 

present, the majority of Luos support The opposition National Alliance (NASA) 

opposition leader Raila Odinga, the 

is no different. It is a union of tribes led 

Kambas are behind Kalonzo Musyoka. by Raila Odinga (a Luo from Nyanza), 

The Kalenjins back Deputy President Moses Wetangula and Moses Mudavadi 

William Ruto, while the Kikuyus support (Both Luhyas from western Kenya) and 

President Uhuru Kenyatta. 

Kalonzo Musyoka from the Kamba tribe 

The political elite are known to play 

of eastern Kenya. 

the ethnic divide game to get elected Mass registration drive rallies have 

as they know that elections are never been ethnically politicized. Politicians 

based on issues, ideologies or principles. returning to their backyard for campaign 

Attempts to slay the dragon of tribalism rallies have no clear agendas other than 

in Kenya have not borne much fruit. 

playing the usual tribal cards. 

Commissions have been formed, songs The tribal card is being played behind 

composed, and wars fought. The Truth, the scenes. It’s not being amplified 

Justice and Reconciliation Commission as such but politicians are harping on 

was formed in 2008 after the 2007 

tribal arithmetic to gain control and 

post-election violence. The commission get political mileage-and ultimately be 

concluded that ethnic conflicts mainly elected. Such is the tragedy of our tribal 

stem from land inequality and regional politics. 


imbalances in wealth distribution. 

77

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