You cant be given the mic during national celebrations if you are a loose mouth who, after getting it, can decide to address the nation.Gava hates being embarrassed.
The best laid plans can go wrong, though.Sometimes, a loose cannon runs away with the mic.
Thats exactly what happened during the Madaraka Day celebrations of 1992 at Nyayo national stadium.A popular benga artiste was entertaining the crowd.Suddenly, he started addressing Moi:
“Don’t sit there comfortably with your fimbo (club). I know there are people telling you that you are popular, but the truth is that people do not like you.”
The celebrations were live on radio and TV.There was a deafening silence across the stadium after the singer’s utterance.Moi and his trusted lieutenants squirmed in their seats.Many thought that the singer was going to be hurled into Nyati House before the celebrations were over.
Moi was facing dissent as the clamour for pluralism gathered steam.The smell of rebellion was in the air.Thus, it seemed suicidal for the artiste to irk Moi when he was at the nadir of his Presidency.
In my village,my uncles who schooled with the singer asked in hushed tones: Atiriri! Did you hear what Ka-Wanjiru told Wagathimbu?
Ka-Wanjiru was a name of endearment for the singer.Wagathimbu was an unsavoury moniker for President Moi.
Shockingly, nothing happened to the musician.Since he was the mercurial Joseph Kamaru.
Few weeks later,when he rolled into the village in his red Benji( Merc), Kamaru son of Wanjiru was given a heroic welcome at Ngurunga Bar by his peers.
Sadly,Kamaru’s wonderful music is hard to come across,barely 5 years after his death.There is a saving grace though,one can buy his wonderful music from Amazon by following this links:
Kamaru in the past Vol 2 Celina
Kamaru Good Times Special Gift
Enjoy the timeless classics.
Glad you are back. Bang it!
Kamaru’s relationship with Moi was more interactive than most people know.
But telling Moi that people did not love him as much at that time and leaving it to God for that matter was very DARING.
May God of all creation love Moi and reward Kamaru for the truth in their respective rests.
The two actually had an interesting on and off relationship stretching all the way to early 80s when Moi invited Kamaru to tour Japan with him.
Thanks for passing by.
Interesting piece.