Koigi Wamwere- My family ways

This familiar name has been in the political limelight for generations. It is a name belonging to a fighter who has made an effort to stop at nothing in ensuring that Kenya gets its democratic freedom. He informs that his name Koigi means ‘speak’ and thus the never-ending debates about the voiceless. 13 years of his resonating passion has seen him in and out of detention. Just what else is there about this strong-willed character?

Set out on a mission to unravel the gentleman I have seen a lot on TV. His presence commands respect and he seems to have adorned invisible accolades from what he has been through. After exchanging pleasantries, he lets me know that the interview will commence in a minute. It is evident that people consult with him a lot. This I note as he proceeds to discuss some issues with another guest. We are about to begin our conversation when the gathering clouds release their content. We rush into the house, escaping the heavy down pour. And we begin from the most obvious point-politics.

Passion
‘If you have been poor, hopeless or have suffered in life, the way out is politics,’ he begins reflectively. To Koigi, almost all the problems are man-made and they cannot be solved without politics-a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. For the long-serving lobbyist for democracy, politics is about being decisive and taking a stand-no neutrality. He says you are either on the side of corruption and falsehood or on the side of freedom and justice.

He is adamant that there is no two-way about keeping humanity from whatever kind of destruction other than ensuring that they have the right leadership. ‘If you ignore leadership, you must accept responsibility of the anarchy, chaos and violence that is natural to societies that are going through a crisis,’ he says rather passionately. ‘I don’t want my children to ask me why I did not stop that animosity yet I had the power to do so. This is why I am passionate about politics,’ he notes.

The encounter
‘I met my wife by a strange stroke of destiny,’ recalls Koigi. He had gone to Mombasa with some friends to relax after rigorous campaigning followed by clinching a seat in parliament. This Sunday, they were having a casual drive when they met some three young ladies who needed a ride to some destination. Considering that they were all headed in the same direction, Koigi and his buddies did not have a problem with that kind of assistance. Introductions were in order, and one of the ladies who was engrossed in a copy of Viva magazine, went on to say that she was right in the middle of reading Koigi’s story.

‘I thought it was indeed a strange coincidence that this lady happened to be reading my story and here I was so far away from home,’ Koigi recollects with puzzle drawn all over his face. And he got the eerie feeling that this was meant to be his wife.

The ideal woman
‘For every successful man, there is a great woman behind him,’ says a thoughtful Koigi. He says he realized that apart from love, he needed to share the same interests with his future spouse. Nduta-fitted the profile perfectly, as she was passionate about politics as he was. So he went ahead and sealed the deal by marrying her in 1980. In 1982 when he was re-detained, their first son had just been born; a son that threw Koigi off with joy. With detentions’ unpredictable nature, Koigi did not know if he would ever make it to freedom; and more so, if Nduta would wait for him as a wife. Koigi was humbled by her relentless fight to see him out of his incarceration. For him that was exceptional support- someone who was more than willing to be associated with him in his worst of times. Thereafter he went into exile with her and was later on re-arrested for four years. Nduta remained un-wavered. ‘Ours is like a marriage made in heaven. I could not ask for a better wife: he beams.

Pregnancies
Koigi says the pregnancies brought relief and satisfaction. He expresses that the pregnancies spoke in language that effectively responded to those who spoke ill about them; that indeed, they were perfect mates, blessed with the capacity bring forth children. ‘But most of all, it was a joy: Koigi says still beaming. ‘Fatherhood to me means partial Godhood. God has given a bit of his divinity to human beings by allowing them to procreate. There can be no greater joy than being a mother or father.’

The politician recounts that his wife’s pregnancies were easy for the most part except when those moods directed their wrath on him. Sometimes to cope, he had to remind himself that these were difficult times even for her, and that it was not her wish to be unkind.

Labour
Back in the day, it was not necessary for a man to be present when his wife was giving birth and Koigi was not there at the birth of his sons. However, when Nduta experienced labour pains during her first pregnancy, he sped her to hospital and left her in the hands of the delivery experts. When he came back, he was the proud father of a healthy baby boy.

The second delivery took place when Koigi was out attending to their Shamba and Nduta was rushed to hospital to give birth; while the last one happened when they were in exile in Norway. Then, as mentioned, Koigi had been arrested and detained.

Nduta speaks

First born
Since Koigi was not present through most of his wife’s pregnancies, a talk with Nduta Koigi revealed that her first pregnancy was the easiest. She absolutely had no complications, and recalls craving ‘samosas’ and fish.

However, being her first baby, handling the small delicate person was something close to rocket science for her. She dreaded to wash him thus being left with the option of wiping. Her mother came to visit at this juncture and was so upset at her fright that she quickly took soap and water and bathed the baby.

Second born
Here, they lived in a farm, and being young and active, she recalled having to wake up at night to feed the chicken. These constant activities limited her resting time which saw Nduta produce excess discharge. The doctor prescribed rest. She remembers craving honey and chapati, food which by myth, is attributed to her son’s strong bones. The factuality of the myth aside, the boy has risen to the ranks of the spectacular footballer that he is.

Last born
Nduta was heavy with their third son after they left for Norway-a place with new culture, drastically different weather patterns-all posing a challenge in adapting to a new environment. Nduta recounts a very difficult delivery whose complications must have been aggravated by the news that her husband had been arrested and charged with robbery with violence, a capital offense. True to Koigi’s word, Nduta moved to her hubby’s defense citing that the allegations had been totally fabricated by the then government. As the case is in the western world, a birth-partner-usually the husband, should accompany the pregnant woman during the birth of her child. But here she was spouseless. Thankfully, a friend, resident of Norway, was kind enough to be with her through it.

Nduta remembers the hospital’s kindness of putting her in a special ward where no one was allowed to see her, to catch up with the peace of mind she needed to give birth well. A worried Nduta was in labour from 6am till 8pm, before a healthy baby boy finally emerged. And she was the mother of another healthy baby boy.

Special word
She says if you are pregnant, you have to eat well-mostly vegetables and treat yourself to generous amounts of water throughout the pregnancy. For first time mothers, she recommends patience and discourages getting angry with the situation because it is only temporary. Nduta finally asserts that the lactating mothers should breastfeed their children until month six-the recommended weaning age.

Marriage and politics
Koigi advises couples who are involved in politics to pursue the right politics and refrain from negative ideologies. They should not sacrifice or abandon their families for their political careers but rather, their families should be part of their political lives.

Now
The first born, Wamwere wa Koigi, now lives and works in Norway. The second born, Ragui wa Koigi, also lives and works in Norway. The last born is called Kuria wa Koigi, and is in a high school, here in Kenya. Away from politics, Koigi now has a radio station called ‘Sauti ya Mwananchi’, a local radio station in Nakuru on a frequency of 100.9 F.M. Amongst other things, the radio station has done the audio Kiswahili translation for the book ‘It’s Our Turn to Eat – The Story of a Kenyan Whistle Blower’ by Michel A. Wrong. Koigi has since rekindled his passion for journalism, citing a close relationship between politics and journalism, the latter which he believes is a special calling that will uniquely propel what we all- know him for-politics.

END: PG 31 /14-16