Kikuyu Day gives birth to “Rescue Kenya 2012”

A section of various representatives of different tribes of the Kenyan community in Boston join Bishop Joshua Wambua of Rapture Harvest Mission International during the Kikuyu day celebrations. Bishop Wambua announced the launch of "Rescue Kenya 2012" to avoid a repeat of inter-tribal violence during the upcoming general elections. From left to right. Harrison Maina, Bishop Joshua Wambua, Paul Waithaka, John Maina, Joseph Mithiga, Wallace Mwangi , Jackton Were and Margaret Njuguna

By Harrison Maina, AjabuAfrica.com

WAKEFIELD, Mass. , DECEMBER 11_Kenyans in the Diaspora are sick and tired of being sick and tired of politicians back home whipping up tribal animosity every election cycle at the expense of human lives and lost opportunities.

 As a result, close to 200 Kenyans from different tribes in the Diaspora agreed to launch a new united movement, “Operation Rescue Kenya 2012.”  The Operation’s mission is to avoid repeated bloodshed in Kenya during the next general election.

  The stunning development took place in Wakefield Mass. on Sunday December 6, while Kenyans were celebrating the achievements of the Kikuyus in America, dubbed Kikuyu day. It was also about 6 days prior to the annual Jamhuri day celebrations in Kenya, that usually take place on December 12.

Led by Bishop Joshua Wambua of Rapture Harvest Mission International, scores of Kikuyus, Luos , Luhya, and Kamba  from multiple cities in New England, came together and enjoyed a rare socialization that was hailed my many as an "ideal situation".

The Kenyans mixed and mingled freely with each other as they enjoyed traditional foods initially meant to be Kikuyu dishes, but for some reason, a lot of tilapia fish was on the menu as well.

 The event also included a heated and spirit filled Kikuyu praise and worship (Kigoco) led by Peninah Idahen backed by several other ladies. Festus Macharia, visiting from the Quincy fellowship, played the drums with vigor, raising the tempo of the worship several notches up.

Peninah Idahen, in blue, leads the praise and worship session

 Excited worshippers of the mainly Luo and Kikuyu tribes in Boston, twisted, turned and jumped as they danced, culminating in the formation of the popular “human train” formed as people sang the mugithi song .

The mugithi song   is a popular Kikuyu gospel folk song that invites people to join an imaginery train to heaven or be left behind.

Several white Americans and people from other nations present could not resist the fun, and swiftly joined the mugithi dance.

 Dawn Samuel, introduced to the Kenyans as the Jamaican Luo, entertained worshippers with great praise and worship music. She is a Jamaican who has vast network contacts within the Luo community in America.  

Owino said that it was a good thing that the Luos and Kikuyus have started coming together in praise and worship, and hoped other tribes will soon join them for the desirable goal.

Martin Owino , right, and Dawn Samuel

 “There is nothing wrong between us Luos and Kikuyus. We want to send a message to the rest of the world that we can work together”, said Owino, a father of two who lives in Rhode Island.

”If you look at what divides us, it is very small compared to what unites us”, he added.
 
During the speeches session, speaker after speaker said that they did not want to see a repetition of the ugly scenes of death and defacing of their nation by ordinary Kenyans by day, while the politicians are drinking together at night, as witnessed during the previous general elections.

Several Ugandans and Nigerians also attended the groundbreaking development.

“It is very sad when you walk down the street , find another person talking a different language than yours, then you chase them and cut them up with a panga” (Swahili for machete), said Bishop Wambua.

 Heart wrenching scenes of their brothers and sisters killing each other with machetes, bows and arrows came to Kenyans in the diaspora via the internet and on cable television . Skulls of people burnt beyond recognition in churches and houses all in the name of elections were also witnessed, horrifying many Kenyans and friends.  

Festus Macharia on the drums

They vowed to contact their young counterparts in Kenya and ask them to refuse the tribal division and tensions being currently brewed in Kenya by politicians . Politicians have totally forgotten about the pains of the people are secretly building up tribal militia armies in many areas of Kenya.

“Right now as we speak, people are rearming themselves for the next general election,  from Mt. Elgon, to Nairobi”, said Bishop Wambua.

“We refuse this in the name of God”, he said drawing wild cheer.

 Wambua said that as a result, he would declare the launching of mission “Rescue Kenya 2012” to make sure no more of our brothers and sisters will die come the next elections.

The bishop also said that he will invite different Kenyan leaders to come to his church in America for a one on one meeting with Kenyans so that they could ask them important questions regarding why they keep promoting tribal division.

A Kikuyu and a Luo women socialize during the Kikuyu day

“We will invite all of them  here, Raila Odinga, Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto and all those feuding leaders”, said Wambua .
 
The fiery cleric said that there is nothing wrong with the church addressing these issues so as to set the Kenyan people free.

 “Even the racial equality movement in America was driven by the Baptist church led by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King”.

Wambua added that plans to bring Kenyans together that are hatched in bars and clubs will never work, and that is why the church needs to play an important role in this area. Many people in the congregation agreed to the preacher’s contention and applauded wildly.

Saying that there is nothing wrong with tribes, Bishop Wambua said that it is tribalism that is the problem, and everybody needs to be aware of this so that they may resist it.

“There is noting wrong being a Kikuyu, or Luo or Kamba or Kisii”, Wambua said.
He added that the time has come for progressive Kenyans to liberate themselves from the wrong notion inherited from their forefathers that keeps them badly divided and reduces the quality of life for everyone.

 “There is some junk we inherited from our forefathers that some tribes are superior or inferior to others. We need to shed it”.

He said that the Kikuyu tribe is a big asset to Kenyans and it is clear that God chose the tribe to lead in the fight against colonialists.

"The colonialist did not settle in Luo Nyanza or in Ukambani. They settled in Kikuyu-land as the Kikuyu had the fiber to take them on". The bishop added that 90% of the work to liberate Kenya was done by the Kikuyus and therefore the need to appreciate them and not curse them by propagating innapropriate labels .

Drawing on biblical relevance, Bishop Wambua said that a time came when the tribes of Israel fought each other, only to realize when it was too late that they had  messed themselves up.

"After fighting with the tribe of Benjamin, the tribe of Judah realized too late that they had finished off their best marksmen that they needed for defense from other threats”, said the Bishop. "They then hurriedly decided to give their daughters to be married by the men of the tribe of Benjamin so they may reproduce more marksmen".

He compared that to the recent tribal fights in Kenya where the Luos chased and killed the Kikuyu from Kisumu, and the next thing they knew was that there was no more enough food in Kisumu. Current reports in the Kenyan media indicate that Eldoret, a previously thriving agricultural city in the Rift Valley province, is on the brink of collapse after all investors pulled out of the city due to tribal violence formented by leaders of the area aganist members of other communities . Read News.

  "Similarly, when the Kikuyu chased and killed the Luos from Naivasha, we all know what happened", added the fiery preacher.

“The Kikuyu community is very industrious”, said Wambua. “Put a Kikuyu somewhere and they will survive”. “Put a Kikuyu in Garrisa and a Somali will have food, put a Kikuyu in Mwembe Tayari and the Swahili will have food”, Wambua said causing laughter.

He said that is was a beautiful thing when tribes appreciate their differences and work together for the glory of God because   different tribes have different gifting.

A diverse mix of worshippers socializing as they enjoy food and drinks during the Kikuyu day celebrations

“Kikuyu’s are very enterprising and good at adapting anywhere, while the Luos are very skilled in research, academics and management”, said Wambua.

  He said even the Kamba’s from his tribe are very gifted at handling in spiritual matters.

 "Kamba’s are the best preachers when they are saved, and the best witchdoctors when they are not”, said Wambua causing a thunderous laughter.

The Kamba people are feared for peddling the most potent  form of witchcraft in Kenya with many unbelievers paying hefty sums to have their adversaries hypnotized by a Kamba witchdoctor.

 “When we fight, nobody wins”, he added making the congregation repeat the words again and again.

Wambua cautioned potential detractors of the new movement to free Kenyans against what he termed as the “home guard spirit”.

  The bishop said that during this “second mau mau” movement born in Wakefield Mass. , some people may want to go out and try to derail the effort by their   uncooperative behavior, the way some communities and even some in the Kikuyu community, termed as “home guards” , went against the mau mau freedom fighters to side with the colonialist to derail the movement.

 “Beware of the home guard spirit. Home guards are opportunists who capitalize on gains when a wrong is being committed’.

 As the  congregation sunk into dead silence , Wambua continued to say that  the Rescue Kenya 2012 movement is not going to tolerate the home guard spirit under any circumstances.

 “If you go anywhere and someone tells you that a Kikuyu is bad or a Luo or Kalenjin is bad for whatever reason, you need to know that is the home guard spirit, and you need to fight it”, said the man of God unequivocally.

As a living testimony, a woman who barely escaped with her life during the 2007 disputed elections in Kenya addressed the crowd and said that she felt too much pain to see what is going on there.

She said she used to live in Molo, in the Rift valley province, where all the members of the Kikuyu community were uprooted form their homes and their property destroyed.

Catherine Kariuki leads in closing prayers

 Homes and animals and other properties were torched as the Kalenjin community hunted down the Kikuyus and the Kisiis , with bows, arrows and machetes, killings several hundred in the process.

Other Luo community leaders in the area also expressed desire for more opportunities for the tribes to network and socialize.

 “Am glad we are here celebrating the Kikuyu day”. This kind of thing is great and should be continued”, said Joseph Mithiga, a Luo elder. His sentiments were echoed by another young luo community leader from Lynn, Jackton Were.

 The co-mcee, Paul Waithaka,   thanked the Rapture Harvest Mission International church for organizing the increasingly popular tribe recognition days, saying that this will go along way at bringing together the fractured community.

In an interview with AjabuAfrica.com, the Kenyan who is credited with injecting the duo citizenship issue into the ongoing constitutional reform negotiations in Kenya, John Maina,  said that  Kikuyus can end tribalism in Kenya if they wanted to.

"Just because of the sheer numbers of the Kikuyu's, they can end tribalism in Kenya through leading by example and embracing other tribes in all matters", said Maina.

Towards the end of the event, a Luhya community leader, Patrick  Inyagua from Lawrence, entered the church and was flabbergasted at what he saw.

”I can’t believe this. It’s too good and it’s the way we are supposed to live like even back in Kenya”, said Inyagua.

Inyagua said that earlier during the day, several people from his Luhya tribe had tried to dissuade him from attending the Kikuyu day, wondering why he was coming to associate with the Kikuyus and the Luos.

 He revealed that he refused to listen and decided to come just to prove his friends wrong and show that tribal unity needs to be cultivated by specific and deliberate action.

   He also thanked the Rapture Harvest church for identifying the Luhya community as the next tribe in line for a Luhya day celebration, slated to take place in March of next year at the same venue.

 “I hope you can all come and bring your friends too”, added the excited man accompanied by his wife.

Wambua said he will let Kenyans in New England know of the next step towards making Rescue Kenya 2012 move forward.

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