You all remember that I visited Kakamega last week. Despite not being welcome, I had promised to stay put and only leave when my work could no longer allow me to be in Kakamega. Although Fiolina pays rent for the house, it is still my house. I am the head of the family.
My plan had been to stay in Kakamega until Wednesday, but I was forced to leave on Monday morning following intelligence reports that I received about something that could affect my job. As you know, a few weeks ago, parents of Mwisho wa Lami Primary School, led by Nyayo and Alfayo, chased Kuya from school after he beat up Aggripa, Alfayo’s daughter, until she fainted. To save his life, Kuya had escaped through a narrow window and sped off on his motorcycle.
The period Kuya was away was one of my best time as Deputy Headmaster. I had had an un-challenged leadership at school, and was slowly but surely pushing through my agenda, policies and plans. I had not checked what Kuya was up to. I had not called him even once. It was not my duty to call him; it was his duty report to school.
Two weeks ago, I told Bensouda we were struggling with the timetable because one of the teachers, Kuya, was absent. Of course you know that Saphire also rarely comes to school, but for purposes of my discussions with Bensouda, it was Kuya we were talking about.
“What do I do?” She asked. I told her we needed to report to TSC that Kuya had deserted duty and ask for a replacement. “If we can show records that he has not been in school, TSC will listen to us.” And I had kept records to show that Kuya had not been coming to school.
But Bensouda was unwilling to follow this route, only asking that we give Kuya time. “He will be back soon,” she said. How Bensouda did not understand that I did not want Kuya back, I did not understand.
Inciting parents to kill Kuya
Anyway, during my visit to TSC offices, I met one of my former classmates at Kilimambogo TTC who was now a TSC official, and he asked to see me over lunch break. When we met, he told me that Kuya had reported me to TSC for inciting parents to kill him. He had asked that I either be transferred from Mwisho wa Lami, or he be offered round-the-clock police protection.
I laughed it off, saying it was a joke, but my friend asked me to take it seriously as Kuya had presented police P3 forms and OB number. My friend had, however, asked Kuya to consider reconciliation, saying: “For a man who wants to be deputy, it is not good to have so many letters in your file.”
I think Kuya went for reconciliation, and that is why on Saturday evening, I received reports that he had been seen at Hilter’s with Nyayo, the same Nyayo who had come to school with a machete ready to attack Kuya. On Sunday, I also received intelligence reports that Kuya had been seen at Hitler’s with a larger group. There was Nyayo, Alfayo and Rasto. Tito and Saphire were also present.
Sources closer to the source told me that on that evening, Hitler’s stuff was literally flowing like a river, with Kuya paying the bills. “Whoever said blood is thicker than water lied to us,” I am told Rasto had said. “Andrea is our son but he has never bought anything for us at Hitler’s. Yet Kuya, a stranger, is buying us proper.”
“Pesa ya Dre huwa haioni jua,” said Nyayo. He went on to claim that I owed him lots of money for work he had done for me. “And any time he buys you a drink, the whole world will know!”
The more drinks Kuya bought, the more they negatively spoke about me, and the more praises went Kuya’s way.
“The other day Kuya was busy teaching when my daughter fell down,” said Alfayo, who was seated next to Kuya. “My daughter, Aggripa, who has a fainting disease, fell down and fainted. Instead of teachers helping her, they claimed that Kuya had beaten her and that is the reason we attacked Kuya.”
“Thank you for setting the record straight Alfayo,” said Kuya, as he ordered another round of drinks for everyone, and sent Alfayo some money on M-Pesa. Alfayo added that his daughter had fainted many times before the incident, and twice after the incident. “Do we want to blame Kuya for that as well?”
The long and short of it was that after the drinks, and other favours that we will not disclose here for the interest of National Security, Nyayo, Alfayo and Rasto told Kuya that he was free to return to school the next morning.
“We are the ones who sent you away, and we are the ones who are asking you to return,” Alfayo reportedly told Kuya. Adding that if I was the problem, they were ready to deal with me.
“In fact, Andrea should be transferred to Lodwar or Mandera, he has over-stayed in this school,” said Alfayo, reminding everyone that I have never taught in any other school after college. “We need fresh blood.” While they were right about me not having taught elsewhere, they were wrong about this school needing fresh blood. I am the freshest blood this school has ever had, will ever have. And being from this village means that I always have the interests of the school at heart.
I boarded the first matatu from Kakamega on Monday morning and arrived at school at 8am. Luckily, Kuya had not arrived, but he came later on. Although he has not raised any issue with me, and he has been going to class as scheduled, I am not fooled. I know Kuya very well — when you see him quiet and obedient; he is usually planning something sinister. But I am ready for him.
