Skip to main content

REMEMBERING DAVID MUNYANKEI


Down in the caves of Narok was born a child who was to be named Munyankei. He grew up to be a civil servant and a whistleblower and later the most hated person Kenya ever conceived. Munyankei was one horrible person in this country. The son of the soil that stinks to the chagrin of those trying to clean him. He was rescued from the annals of poverty and after a few strings had been pulled this nincompoop landed a job in the Central Bank of Kenya. As a clerk Munyankei rubbed shoulders with the high and mighty. He knew the secrets of the government and knew the nooks and cranny of the filth within the country. When he couldn’t take it in any more, he let out a loud fart that could make the country stink in the wake of a grand corruption that was slowly making the women of Mathioya reeling with itchy fingers because of jiggers, a problem we could easily solve. 
Munyankei saved Kenya at the hour of her need, or perhaps he thought so. By saving our poor country, this poor man literally killed his mother. He murdered his mother for, “there comes a time when a country is more important than an individual.” For his sincerity, David was thrown in the gallows and later released to the hungry jackals who wanted to chew him alive. He was awarded a sack by his employee and when he demanded far too much he was threatened which led him to exile in Mombasa.
Confused Munyankei took to Islam and name change to save his skin. The Goldenberg slowly faded and Munyankei now a Muslim was temporarily forgotten. A perfect way to continue wallowing in riches the Goldenberg lords nodded a sigh in relief.
Come 2002 Munyankei felt a new guy when finally the spirits of the dead stirred into life and the Goldenberg was re-opened. Fresh investigations were launched with Kibaki breathing fire on the Lords of impunity. Kenyans and especially Munyankei was going to feel the amazing treat that comes when a hero is honoured. That was a dream that would send poor Munyankei to the grave three years later. Thanks to Pneumonia that knew too well to save him of the agony of suffering the pain that this country putting him to torture.
Munyankei was gone; July 16, 2006 was the darkest day that Kenya saw. A story ran in the media of how Goldenberg had lost a vital witness and that also passed, the lords of Goldenberg breathed another sigh. “Phew! We did not have to fake an accident!”
My point is that as we go on mourning some of our falling heroes from the skies, why don’t we pay homage to young and irrelevant people in our life. If it were not for people like Munyankei, if he had chosen to bury his head in the sand, then this country would have rotten in jiggers, famine and obesity.  
It is time we played it safe if not by the book, its that time we re-invented ourselves and looked into what surrounds us in a fresh angle and move on to demand what hitherto is justice denied or rather downplayed, justice bended, justice withheld, justice cast out in plays and justice tampered with the dog that bites literally the masters of have tamed them.
All the mechanisms that are put forth are just barriers that be, that prevent the common mwanainchi to get to the bottom or at least halfway towards the bottom of the matter. It clearly inundates the characters in a play that ironises the true story of a Kenya sleeping.
Munyankei’s statue should be gracing our streets; it should be placed near the aging integrity house that has lost its integral role of being an integral part of shaping the country that slowly has the jackals for leaders.  
One thing that really makes me go mad is the fact that we as Kenyans have become warthogs. We already know that the current crop leaders are just but predators of the economy. We already know that these individuals are vultures that Boniface Mwangi painted as the vultures who pee on the patriotism of Kenya. We have clear judgement that these guys, some of them who own tonnes of land that could resettle the IDPS, squatters et al, have their greed unquenchable on the ‘half loaf’ of Kenya.
It beats me when state resources are misused and we ruefully nod our heads in agreement. It is like watching someone unzip his trousers and directs his penis in your direction and you encouragingly nod your head to permit them to go ahead and pee on you!
How then can a nation reward Lords of filth while we watch in silence? How then can we scorn at those who want the goodwill of this country? Are we really humane? Can’t we just accept the fact that, Kenya does not just need a new constitution but an overhaul of personal conscience, a new sense of perception and reason beyond the village of thought that has forever embalmed our thoughts into village hood?
My heart is torn apart when I learn that, the act Munyankei did sent his mother into shock. The shock terminated his mother’s life; the shock made David Munyankei an orphan. Yet the tears he shed for his mother, the life he lost in his mother, bore no fruits. He was ousted from work. He was hated. He was so alone. His funeral was a final blow for he died a poor man struggling to make ends meet. The strength he had while revealing the vices that were deteriorating Kenya’s economy had been usurped from him. He died and he was buried the dark clouds that had cleared in 2002 to usher in a ray of hope slowly caved in a soil was heaped on his coffin. Motionless the clouds thumped in darkness where the vultures would start hunting again, giving birth to Anglo-leasing. Another cloud cleared as John Githongo resisted being tempted. The cloud would soon be replaced.
The late David Munyankei, John Githongo and quite a number of us, represent just a fraction of the over 40,000, 000 of us, who have been audacious enough to raise a finger when the vultures strike. What will happen if the 40,000,000 of us rose up and demanded for what so belongs to us?
I wish we could only have shed tears for Munyankei and even raised the flag a half a mast for even a half a minute. Then more justice would have been our shield and defender.





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

HOW FEMINISM IS ADDRESSED IN THE RIVER AND THE SOURCE

The story revolves around Akoko. The buck stops with women in the fight against oppressive testosterone. It is upon women to tap into their innermost strength to transform the world it what they imagined. Akoko, being on the losing end in a male-dominated family fought her way to earn her father’s love. She had to put her feet on the ground to make the world recognize her. Aloo, the family spokesman said that Akoko’s hard work had been incorporated into a saying that women sending their children on errands would mention her. She did not show any female shyness when she was introduced to her husband to be. With her head held high, Akoko stirred into Owuor Kembo a feeling that had not earned vocabulary among the Luo - love. Akoko did not subject the chief to monogamy. She was okay with him marrying as many women as her wealth could manage. It was the chief’s decision, despite growing outcry, to remain faithful to his wife. We are not told of any arm-twisting but sure as the sun ris...

EXPLORING FEMINISM IN BLOSSOMS OF THE SAVANNAH AND A DOLL'S HOUSE

Feminism emerged as a movement to fight for the social, political and economic rights of the women. It is more of a political movement that recognises the individuality and sexuality of women and how historically and religion wise have been segregated. Before the advent of feminism, women lived under the tutelage of their male counterparts. For instance, a woman did not have any right to choose whom to marry, it was the prerogative of the male family member to choose. In the TV Serial, Rome, Julius 'Octavian' Caesar, who later became Augustus Caesar, makes a decision that affects both his mother and sister in a way unimaginable. The mother, Artia of the Julii is in love with Marcus Antonius (Mark Antony) and she plans to marry him. However, Caesar decides it will be impossible for the two lovebirds to make it official. For political reasons, he settles for his sister Octavia as a suitable wife for Mark Anthony! There are many examples of male subjugation in numerous cultu...

THEME OF MARRIAGE IN A DOLL'S HOUSE

Henrik Ibsen explores marriage as a tool for women subjugation and at the same time as a weapon of financial emancipation. He also looks at marriage as a level-headed arrangement between two like-minded individuals. Marriage is one of the most celebrated unions in the world. Similarly, it enjoys such high moral ground in religious and many cultural circles. In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen explores this vital part of the society in the life and times of Nora, her husband Torvald Helmer and other characters. From the onset, marriage seems a happy association since Nora is jubilant and bubbly as a wife. Although money could be one of the factors that threaten this marriage, Nora is capable of handling it. Torvald is very particular about the family’s expenditure and warns Nora to be careful. Being naïve and playing innocence helps Norah to get away with her husband’s restraint. In their association, Helmer holds the high moral ground, chief financier and key decision-maker. He ...