Childhood memories still clear in my mind, I remember on most government public holidays most notably Kenyatta day & Jamhuri Day, we had this black soft covered book which we 'read' titled - THE DAY KENYATTA DIED. The cover of this book showed half Mzee Kenyatta's body from the side as he rest in peace in a black suit, while in the back ground there was an image which looked like sunset (orange like).

   Me & my little sister Stella were curious to 'look' at this book of this man whom many people talk about as we never got to see him like our elder siblings & parents, since we had not been born yet.

   In the mid 80's, we were still too young to read properly; the only thing we could do is to "Angalia Picha" (look at the pictures) & look at the fighter jets fly outside, & be like " Hiyo Ni Yangu ". Back to the book; it's pages were made of this extremely soft paper. As years went by the book started seeing some wear & tear. Cello tape could be seen on the spine coz we used this book quite often. When my siblings Franco, Vincent & Stella read this article, they will simply have flashbacks of things they have not thought of in years ! (as in MANY YEARS)

   I vividly remember the photos on that book, quite notably the one of the Late Paul Ngei in somber mood seated down at state house dressed in a grey suit with his right hand on his head, Sir Charles Njonjo in a black suit with small white stripes walking past the casket bearing the body of the Late Mzee Kenyatta, Prince Charles of Britain in his White Commander Suit with badges on his left side of his chest & a sword.

   Another photo shot of the dais at the parliament buildings showed former president Daniel Arap Moi with his eyes being very red, Milton Obote, the late Idi Amin of Uganda & Late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere (1922-1999) of Tanzania, Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia with his white handkerchief. One of the leaders eyes (I think it was Milton Obote) appeared to have greenish looking eyes which back then astounded. (Oh, one of the leaders also had a bakora - walking stick I cannot remember who it was but I think it was Idi Amin who was dressed in a light blue suit. In that photo they held books which look like hymn books as their mouths looked like they were uttering something. There was 30 days of mourning. Mzee was 89 Years old.

  ...... Later on as years went by, & there was this particular song which aired on VOK's (Voice Of Kenya) Nyimbo za Kizalendo, sung by a group of singers who when I was young mom told me that they all perished in a road accident en route to Mombasa. I never got to know the name of the group to date.

  To the best of my memory, the lyrics closely like this:

Ilikuwa Octoba hamsini na nne (54) watu tulisikia Kenyatta ameshikwa,
Hakushikwa Kenyatta pekee yake lakini alishikwa na mabingwa wa uhuru,
Akina Baba, akina mama wote walilia machozi yakisema,
Wooh, woi, woi tunataka Kenyatta awachiliwe.

   I ponder from time to time about the lyrics of this song. Could it be as a result of being a Diaspora? Whenever this lyrics come to mind, it reminds me of the trying times our freedom fighters & families went through.

   Earlier on this week, the lyrics came to mind again & I was like my beliefs are being reinforced time & again i.e. the artists also similarly acknowledged the efforts of other arrested freedom fighters as they sung in their song.

   It was at this point that I actually remembered BAKS aka (Hon. President Mwai Kibaki) had seeked constitutional changes to rename Kenyatta day to "Mashujaa Day" last year 2005, to recognize & ensure that all heroes at large are remembered because there were different interpretations of Kenyatta Day (esp. with our young generation to my view.)

  The name Kenyatta Day overshadowed all other notable freedom fighter heroes. Until high school, I always knew then Kenyatta day holiday was to celebrate what Kenyatta only had done for our country since the day was named after him.

   Earlier this week, I went "googling" in search of high resolution photos of famous Kenyan freedom fighters (aka MAUMAU) so that I could design a flier (BELOW) in commemoration of this Kenyan public holiday. I could not get a high resolution images of most of our freedom fighters except one of the late "Mzee".

  The photos of notable freedom fighters e.g. remember the late Dedan Kimathi (image inset on the flier) where he lay on a stretcher handcuffed after a surgery to remove a bullet from his butt ..... then the Wakoloni (British colonialists) later charged him for being a "terrorist" (i.e. a Freedom Fighter) & EXCECUTED him. Sad.

  The photo was of low resolution & required some modifications due to it's file format, while the late Paul Ngei's photo & the rest of the freedom fighters could not be found on the internet. How come their information is not that much available on the net?

  I thought it was a high time we all recognize this day as it meant to be recognized.

  Happy Mashujaa Day. Kumbuka ulikotoka. Enough respect to our Mashujaa (Heroes) & their families. Notably Dedan Kimathi (Deceased), General Mathenge Wa Mirugi, Jomo Kenyatta (Deceased), Paul Ngei (Deceased), Achieng’ Oneko, Fred Kubai & Kungu Karumba (Deceased), Bildad Kaggia amongst all the rest who fought for our beloved Jamhuri to become independent.

 ** AOB (Any Other Business) ** About the song referred to in the article, apparently I don't have that song. And if there is any Kenyan Diaspora out there (let alone a DJ) who has that song in their collection, one word from me to you PROPS!

  It may seem weird, but this song goes through my mind on a number of occasions when I carefully think of kule niliko toka - my "Jamhuri Ya". I don't know what triggers that memory but there must be something. Just like the way the smell of rain coming often triggers old memories.

  Also remember the other nice kizalendo song goes like ........

Kenya, Kenya, Kenya taifa letu,
Kenya, Kenya, Kenya nchi yetu.
Wako wapi mabeberu waone haya,
Hilo ni hakikisho la Raisi wetu,
Zamani tuliwekwa eti number four (4),
Sasa aboutani tuko number wani (1) .........

Chalo XP.

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